For Georgia’s Sharashidze: Amendments to Grants Law are attempt to suppress dissent

MP Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party, asserts that the recent amendments to the Law on Grants are not motivated by a desire for transparency.

According to Sharashidze, the legislative change is aimed at silencing opposition within the country.

“We have never been against transparency, nor are we now, but this isn’t transparency; it’s the suppression of dissent. An entrepreneur, expert, or specialist may hold a different opinion. Yet, under this law, anyone who dares to dissent risks being fined by Georgian Dream and having a criminal case initiated against them. Meanwhile, others can simply turn a blind eye. This is the law of Georgian Dream and reflects the current state of affairs in the country.

Irakli Kobakhidze and Shalva Papuashvili cannot even admit that at one point they were agents of a foreign power. To use their own words, these individuals have been serving foreign interests for years. And what are we supposed to talk about? We have questions, but all we hear from them is propaganda,” Sharashidze stated.

For context, the leader of the majority, Irakli Kirtskhalia, announced following the parliamentary majority session on January 28 that several legislative amendments had been drafted. Specifically, Kirtskhalia mentioned that an amendment to the Law of Georgia on Grants was being prepared to establish criminal liability and to criminalise external lobbying.