Day: August 22, 2025

Georgian civil society organizations that received inspection notices from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau under Georgian Dream’s version of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) say they will not register in the FARA portal, arguing the law does not apply to them.

“Neither the American FARA nor its Georgian counterpart applies to civil society organizations,” Transparency International Georgia, the country’s leading corruption watchdog, said on August 22, noting that although Georgian Dream authorities claim to have copy-pasted the American law into Georgia’s legislation, the organization’s U.S. branch is not registered under FARA.

Seven organizations, including TI-Georgia, received FARA inspection notices from the Anti-Corruption Bureau in the past weeks, warning of criminal liability if they fail to register as an “agent of a foreign principal” under the GD-adopted FARA. Alleging that their work “could constitute political activity,” the Bureau asked the organizations to explain why they had not registered on time, giving them 10 days to submit a response.

FARA, which took effect in May, is the second foreign agents law adopted by Georgian Dream. The ambiguous law, which Georgian Dream claims to have copied from the 1938 American FARA, requires foreign-funded individuals and entities engaged in political activities on behalf of a foreign principal to register in the FARA registry, with non-compliance punishable by fines, prison terms of up to five years, or both. The August inspection marked the first instance of strict enforcement of such laws, as the previous version, though still formally in force, was effectively shelved.

Social Justice Center (SJC), another group under inspection, argues that the U.S. FARA, just like its Georgian analogue, establishes that the “mere fact that an organization’s activities may be related to political issues does not in itself constitute grounds for designating it as an agent of a foreign principal.”

In a letter to the bureau, SJC argues that its activities are “determined internally” and that funds are only a “tool” to carry them out. The group stresses that during project implementation, its correspondence with donors is limited to financial accountability and information exchange, saying this “does not affect the substance of organizational activities.” It adds that “grant-related activities are not connected to the support or lobbying of foreign political parties.”

The organization said it would not fall under FARA if the law were interpreted in a “reasonable and good-faith” manner. It noted that in the bureau’s warning letter, the grounds for its alleged “political activity” were its public statement, but those were not substantiated. One of the statements cited was SJC’s saying that the “Ivanishvili government is fully responsible for creating risks to visa-free travel.”

The Media Development Foundation, another inspected CSO, also responded with a letter to the bureau’s request, outlining its track record. That includes, among other efforts, media literacy programs that have trained thousands of Georgians, especially school and university students and teachers, as well as educational resources it has developed and its work combating disinformation, particularly from Russia.

“MDF’s activities – for which the organization receives funding from the EU, the governments of the EU member states and other Western donors – are transparent and serve only the interests of the Georgian people, in line with the Georgian government’s declared goals outlined in legislation and policy documents,” the organization said in the letter.

All seven organizations now ordered to register under FARA had earlier, in June, been approached by the bureau for separate inspections – that time, though, under different laws. Those earlier inspection requests, which they also defied, demanded extensive information about their activities, including sensitive details about their beneficiaries.

The organizations deem the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s inspections unlawful and say Georgian Dream is cracking down on them. Key watchdogs have vowed not to register also citing the local stigma associated with the term “agent,” which is often understood as “spy” or “traitor.” Leaders of Georgian Dream have repeatedly labeled their critics as “foreign agents.”

Also Read:

• 18/07/2025 – UN Committee Calls on Georgia to Suspend Court Order Seeking NGO Beneficiary Data

Secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union, playwright and poet Ilgar Fahmi has visited the National Library, Azernews reports.

Amid the ongoing crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Azerbaijani media outlets operating in exile Free Voices Collective, Meydan TV, Toplum TV and Qazetci have launched a postcard campaign titled “Flood them with fans” to support imprisoned journalist Sevinc Vagifgizi.

The goal is to draw attention to the fact that Sevinc Vagifgizi, editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, who has been held in the Baku Pretrial Detention Center for several months, has been denied access to a fan and to protest this situation.

Vagifgizi’s mother, Ofeliya Maharramova, told Meydan TV that her daughter asked for a fan two months ago. She brought one, but the head of the detention center, Elnur Ismayilov, did not allow it to be delivered:

“To avoid problems, I bought a plastic fan, not a metal one. When I brought it, I noticed that others had bought metal fans, and all of those were allowed inside. For two months now, I’ve been bringing the fan with me to the detention center and taking it back. The warden, Elnur Ismayilov, is acting on principle against Sevinj. He says, ‘Because you got writings out from here [the detention center], we won’t allow the fan in. Delete those articles from the website, and I’ll let the fan in.’ Sevinj says, ‘The articles will not be deleted, and the fan will go in.’ The last time I brought it was two weeks ago. They still didn’t allow it.”

RSF and its partner organizations are inviting the international public to write letters of solidarity to Sevinj Vagifgizi and other imprisoned journalists. The messages will be translated and printed on postcards with a symbolic image of a fan and delivered directly to the prison.

RSF and its media partners are calling on the international community to increase pressure on the Azerbaijani government.

The statement calls for the release of all journalists imprisoned on politically motivated charges, access to medical care and humane conditions for detainees, and an end to repression against all independent media outlets in Azerbaijan.

“We want to show that even prison walls cannot silence their voices. The Azerbaijani authorities must stop punishing journalists for their professional work and must ensure access to basic necessities,” said Anja Osterhaus, Executive Director of RSF Germany.

“This campaign is not just about a fan. It’s about dignity, justice, and international solidarity. We call on all journalists, activists, and citizens to support Sevinj and other journalists,” said Orkhan Mammad, editor of Meydan TV.

Sevinj Vagifgizi was arrested in November 2023.

She was initially charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group in prior collusion).

Later, seven additional charges were brought against her, making the case more severe.

On June 20, at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, Vagifgizi was sentenced to nine years in prison in the so-called “Abzas Media case.”

She denies all charges and does not consider herself guilty.

The post “Flood them with fans!” A new support campaign from independent media appeared first on MEYDAN.TV.

March in support of media in Tbilisi

A march in support of independent media was held in Tbilisi.

Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, joined the demonstration, which took place under the slogan “The light must not be extinguished.”

“Media freedom is vital. Where there are no free media, there is no freedom, no democracy, no free society. Without information we are nothing and no one — and we all understand this. That understanding is especially clear today, as more and more people come out to defend the media,” Zourabichvili said.

Participants marched with lit flashlights from Republic Square to Rustaveli Avenue before joining a rally outside parliament.

Lia Chakhunashvili, executive director of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, said the media environment in Georgia has sharply deteriorated, with journalists facing increasing verbal and physical attacks. She added that the situation is being worsened by financial difficulties [a reference to the “foreign agents” and “grants” laws — JAMnews].

“I know many journalists have been working for almost three months with little or no pay, and there are no signs that Georgian Dream will back down. We decided to appeal to the public for support so that online outlets can survive and continue their work, which they carry out with great dedication, sacrifice and commitment,” Chakhunashvili told Euronews Georgia.

Two weeks ago, 22 Georgian online outlets united under the slogan “The light must not be extinguished” to hold a march under the same name with their supporters on 21 August.

“After various legislative changes and amendments, blackmail, threats and bans on activity, many media outlets — especially regional ones — have been shut down. Now we are in a situation where the Georgian people’s struggle must end in victory.

The loudspeaker I’m holding now is not something I’m used to in my journalistic work. On the contrary, I prefer to stay behind the scenes, covering events and telling people the truth. But we had to come together and remind society that without light our struggle cannot succeed — and by light we mean information, which is an indispensable tool for people today,” journalist Zura Vardiashvili said.

Azerbaijan’s chemical industry recorded significant growth in the first seven months of 2025

TASS: By attacking the Druzhba oil pipeline, Kiev is trying to drag Hungary into war

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has announced a new attack by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Druzhba oil pipeline on the Russian-Belarusian border, resulting in oil supplies to Hungary being halted again, TASS reports. According to Szijjártó, this is the third attack in a short period of time, and he sees Kiev’s actions as an attempt to drag Budapest into the war. Szijjártó stressed that Hungary will continue to defend its national interests and support peace efforts despite the provocations. Earlier this week, drone attacks had already led to supply disruptions, after which Hungary threatened to stop exporting electricity to Ukraine. (TASS)

Intended effect: The propaganda agency is shaping the image of Ukraine as an aggressor threatening the energy security of the European Union and of Hungary in particular. Through Budapest’s position, Russian media emphasize that Kiev’s actions not only damage infrastructure but also threaten European allies, thereby reinforcing the narrative of Ukraine’s conflict with Europe, not just with Russia. Another tried-and-tested narrative of Ukraine (or other “aggressive” Western powers/actors) dragging third countries into war with Russia is weaved in.

Trump and the “Ukrainian buffer”: the return of an old idea in a new form

Russian political commentator Alexander Nosovich, in his article on RIA Novosti, claims that Donald Trump is not offering anything fundamentally new in US foreign policy, but is merely reviving the classic “Anglo-Saxon doctrine” of the “cordon sanitaire.” At the heart of this concept, he says, is the transformation of Ukraine into a buffer zone between Russia and Western Europe, as previously proposed by British strategists and even Margaret Thatcher. The author emphasizes that under Biden, Ukraine ceased to be a buffer and turned into a NATO springboard for pressure on Russia, while the policy of “containment” itself was transformed into a “hybrid war.” At the same time, as Nosovich notes, the current US leadership is “losing control over its allies in Eastern Europe”, with Trump is trying to bring them back into the former protectorate. For Russia, such a reorientation by Washington appears advantageous, since Moscow itself may now need a buffer in the form of Ukraine and other countries to protect itself from a militarized Europe, the author emphasizes. (ria.ru)

Intended effect: Heaving close to some “realist” thinkers, the article floats the idea of “Ukrainian buffer” being advantageous to both Russia and the U.S.. At the same time, it creates an imaginary victory – from Biden’s “NATO springboard” Ukraine supposedly “goes back” to traditional “buffer” – a narrative that contradicts Russia’s propaganda reasoning for the war of aggression and the talk of “eliminating the root causes” of conflict (i.e. independent Ukrainian statehood). At the same time, the impression is created that Moscow and Washington’s interests may coincide in limiting the influence of the European Union, which is consistent with Kremlin’s portrayal of Europe as the main provocateur of the conflict.

Aliyev: Azerbaijan wants peace, but must be ready for war

TASS reports that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, at a meeting with residents of the Kelbajar district, stressed that the country is striving for peace but must remain combat-ready, according to TASS. He stated that in the context of unpredictable global processes, it is impossible to predict the future, so Azerbaijan must be vigilant and rely on its own strength. According to Aliyev, the state, the people, and the armed forces are the guarantors of the republic’s security. (TASS)

Intended effect: The Kremlin coverage seems to purposefully contradict the talk of U.S.-inspired peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing the potential for escalation. Left out of the peace process, and recently bitterly at odds with Baku, Russia may also be trying to stoke fears among its Armenian diaspora.

RIA: Global energy security is impossible without Russia, Venezuela, and Iran

The RIA-Analytics report “The New Face of Global Energy” emphasizes the key role of Russia, Venezuela, and Iran in the global energy market. The publication notes that these countries account for one-third of the world’s liquid hydrocarbon reserves and about 15% of production, and that without their resources, the transition to a new technological order is impossible. The authors of the report believe that the new economy will be energy-intensive due to robotization, the development of artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrencies. The article states that Russia’s share of global hydrocarbon exports is about 15%, and that despite sanctions, the Russian economy has strengthened its stability. In the future, the global energy landscape will evolve, combining traditional and alternative sources, with national strategies becoming decisive, the authors emphasize. (ria.ru)

Intended effect: Through this report, the Russian media is shaping the image of Russia as an indispensable player in the global energy market. The strategic importance of the country and its resource independence are emphasized, which strengthens the internal and external perception of stability of Russia’s influence on the international arena.

A new service has been launched on the “myGov” platform to further simplify citizens’ access to public services, Azernews reports, citing the Innovation and Digital Development Agency.

The Ayirtau district and Petropavl city in North Kazakhstan has hosted a series of international events focused on tourism, culture, education, and youth policy, Azernews reports.