TBILISI, April 2. /TASS/. Georgian President Mikhail Kavelashvili has signed a law on foreign agents, one which mirrors America’s FARA law. The law has been published on the official website of the Legislative Bulletin of Georgia.
The law will enter into force on the 60th day after publication.
The law was proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, which expects the new legislation to be more effective than the law on Transparency of Foreign Influence adopted in May last year to combat foreign financing of non-governmental organizations, who have been accused of supporting revolutionary processes in the country.
The Georgian law, unlike the American one, does not apply to individuals and stipulates only a fine for failing to file an annual income declaration. The American law provides for a prison sentence of up to five years.
The explanatory note to the draft law says that the majority of NGOs funded from abroad refuse to register themselves, making "it necessary to adopt a law that will ensure proper implementation of the legislature’s intent." It also notes that the new US administration confirms that foreign actors have in the past financed organizations to destabilize various countries, including Georgia. Adopting a law similar to the American one is seen as a way to limit the "influence of external forces on the activities of state institutions."
The Anti-Corruption Bureau of Georgia will monitor implementation of the new law.