The Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, MEP David Mcallister,  the Chair of the Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina Kaljurand and the European Parliament’s Standing Rapporteur on Georgia, MEP Sven Mikser, have issued a joint statement on the reintroduction of the draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” in Georgia.

“We are deeply concerned by the re-introduction of the draft law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” by the ruling party in Georgia. This law, which passed its first reading in the Parliament yesterday, is an attack on independent media and civil society organisations. It is incompatible with EU values and democratic principles. It runs against Georgia’s ambitions for EU membership and jeopardises the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We call on the Georgian Government and Parliament not to disappoint the aspirations of the majority of Georgian people and to engage with the national and international partners on ensuring an enabling working environment for civil society organisations.

We are worried about the reports of riot police using force to disperse protesters demonstrating against the controversial draft law. The right to peaceful protests is a fundamental right and needs to be rigorously respected, especially in a country aspiring for the EU membership. Any indiscriminate use of force against peaceful protesters cannot be justified. We call on the Georgian leadership to ensure the protection of freedoms of expression and assembly and to avoid any escalation of violence.

We reiterate our unwavering support to Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and remind that the relevant steps, as identified by the European Commission, still need to be implemented,” the statement reads.