Joint statement by Georgian NGOs
Georgian non-governmental organisations have issued a joint statement condemning the adoption of restrictive laws, particularly the law on the registration of foreign agents (FARA). The authors express solidarity with their colleagues who have been asked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau to hand over confidential information.
The NGOs declare that they stand united in their struggle and will not surrender Georgia’s future “to either Ivanishvili’s regime or the authoritarian systems of Putin and Lukashenko.”
They report that the enforcement of the new law began on 17 June, with human rights defenders already being asked to provide personal data of the citizens under their protection — including ID numbers, names, surnames, photographs, financial and banking information, as well as health records.
“We state clearly and unanimously – no one will be left alone in this struggle. This kind of ideological and institutional persecution of civil society is a direct copy of the Russian model. We will not surrender Georgia’s future to Ivanishvili’s regime or to the authoritarian systems of Putin and Lukashenko.
We fight together — for each other, for our beneficiaries, and for a free Georgia.
We do not live by Russian rules, and we never will,” the statement reads.
The law on the registration of foreign agents, modelled almost verbatim on the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), was passed by the Georgian Dream-led parliament on 1 April 2025 and came into force on 31 May. Authorities claim its purpose is to limit foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs and the work of state institutions.
The legislation introduces a broad definition of “agent of foreign influence,” encompassing any individual or organisation receiving any kind of funding from abroad while engaging in civic, political, or informational activity. Such entities are required to register, with penalties for non-compliance including fines and prison terms of up to five years.
Independent legal experts confirm that while the text of the Georgian law closely mirrors the US FARA, its intended use is entirely different. In the United States, FARA deliberately does not apply to NGOs, media, or organisations working in the public interest. It is reserved for entities acting “under the direction and control of a foreign government.” Moreover, the US has an independent judiciary. In Georgia, enforcement of FARA falls to the Anti-Corruption Bureau — an institution lacking independence.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos issued a joint statement warning that the law marks a serious setback for democracy and represents yet another aggressive move by Georgian Dream to suppress dissent.