Major NGOs in Georgia will not abide by foreign agents law

TBILISI. June 3 (Interfax) - Representatives of the largest Georgian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have said that they will not comply with the adopted law 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence' and will continue to fight to protect human rights and European integration.

"Representatives of the authorities measure others by their own measure, as we are not working for salaries and implementing projects, we are working for the Georgian people, for this country, and we want Georgia to become a member of the European Union. We are not afraid of threats and even arrests, we will not end our activities and we will certainly play our role in the upcoming parliamentary elections. We will not abide by this Russian law," Executive Director of the Transparency International Georgia NGO Eka Gigauri told reporters.

Director of the Justice and Democracy NGO Guram Imnadze told reporters that the law 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence,' which he calls "Russian," does not yet stipulate criminal prosecution of NGOs, but the law "may be amended."

Imnadze said that non-governmental organizations were preparing a lawsuit with the Georgian Constitutional Court with a request to suspend the law 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence' because it is "discriminatory."

Meanwhile, general secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze told reporters on Monday that NGOs that decline to register with the Justice Ministry's registry will be fined and then have their bank accounts seized.

At the same time, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said at a government meeting that the adoption of the law 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence' by the country's parliament should not be seen as a victory for the authorities and a defeat for their opponents.

He also noted that the law is already in effect and everyone should act with a "cool head and pragmatically". He advised that the opposition forces standing against the law "put their emotions aside."

"This is especially true for those people who, through their liberal and fascist actions, are trying to quell the disappointment with the protest. Liberal fascism is no less dangerous than classical fascism and Bolshevism, as it is trying to undermine statehood, including that of Georgia, by using money," Kobakhidze said.

The law 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence' was passed by the parliament on May 14. Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the law on May 18. The parliament overrode the president's veto on May 28.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the bill 'On the Transparency of Foreign Influence' into law on Monday, after which it took effect.