UNM’s Pavlenishvili: Every law passed by the Ivanishvili regime aims to destroy the opposition and civil society

“The true purpose of legislation passed in Georgia is to enable Bidzina Ivanishvili to usurp power and effectively deny critical voices and civil society organisations the right to register,” stated Irakli Pavlenishvili, Chairman of the Interim Governing Council of the United National Movement (UNM).

Pavlenishvili emphasised that legislation in democratic nations serves a fundamentally different purpose and is not designed to eradicate civil society or suppress dissent.

“It is not merely the Georgian transparency law; every single piece of legislation passed by the Ivanishvili regime is designed to destroy the opposition and the civil sector. No other country operates under such motives or foundations.

Whatever international examples you might cite, they are simply not equivalent. The United States does not ban opposition parties, nor destroy civil society or suppress critical thought.

Let me explain the difference between the Georgian and American political landscapes in plain terms. This distinct context is exactly why a vast gulf separates the laws they choose to pass. In Georgia, the sole objective behind passing these laws is for Ivanishvili to usurp power and effectively strip critically minded individuals and organisations of their right to register. That is the goal of Ivanishvili and his clique, a motivation that does not drive other nations,” Pavlenishvili stated.

The statement comes alongside reports from the US Department of Justice, which noted that foreign agent laws in the United States “require individuals to register as foreign agents when acting under the direction and control of a foreign government or foreign entity.” Meanwhile, US Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna has prepared a bill to tighten the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which could potentially extend its scope to social media influencers.