“In my opinion, the expectations surrounding the Transparency Law at the time were exaggerated,” said Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani.

Speaking about the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which came into force on May 31, Ioseliani noted that it is unnecessary to question the democratic nature of American legislation. However, he emphasized that he will closely monitor whether the law’s implementation in Georgia results in restrictions or problems for those it targets.

“When the Transparency Law was introduced, I stated that transparency is a legitimate goal. Our approach has been to observe whether the law in practice limits the rights of individuals or NGOs. I believe the concerns raised at the time were overstated. Similarly, with the new law—modelled on American legislation—it is not relevant to debate its democratic credentials. The key issue is how it will function in the Georgian context. We will monitor whether it leads to human rights violations or restrictions for those affected. If such cases arise, I will address them publicly as Public Defender,” he concluded.