A decisive vote on Tuesday could see the final adoption of a law, dubbed the “Russian law” by critics, that targets civil society organisations and independent media in Georgia that receive foreign funding. For ten days now, the pro-Russian government in power in Tbilisi has made no secret of its intention to use force to impose the law as a means to silence opponents.

“Enemy of the Church”, “enemy of the state”, “LGBT propagandist”, “foreign spy”… These are some slogans on posters pasted outside the home of Giorgi Oniani.

Oniani, deputy managing director in Georgia of Transparency International – a German-based NGO fighting government corruption in over 110 countries – was left feeling anxious but not surprised.

He said he was convinced that those who put up the posters acted with the complicity of the ruling authorities.

“They’re the ones who put it up, who are intimidating us. They’re doing everything they can to disrupt our work,” he said. “All this took place in a group of buildings that is supposed to be protected because the prime minister lives there. But we discovered that the surveillance cameras were switched off. I called the police in the early hours but they refused to come and register my complaint.”

Georgian government.

After being forced to drop a similar bill last year after a public outcry, the ruling Georgian Dream party wants to pass a law requiring any organisation receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register as an “organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power”.

With Sweden and Denmark as major donors, the Georgian branch of Transparency International would fall into this category.

Adopted twice by the Georgian Parliament, the bill closely mirrors the terms of a Russian law on “foreign agents” and has provoked escalating protests from Georgians, who have been massively demonstrating in the streets of the capital Tbilisi since the beginning of April.

been painted. It feels like we’re back in Soviet times”.

In his view, referring to NGOs as “foreign agents” is both slanderous and harmful to Georgian citizens. “These organisations want to improve the lives of Georgians, thanks to money that comes from the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom or elsewhere.”

Simonichvili said his organisation provides free legal aid “to people without financial resources whose rights have been violated by the state”.

“Since 1994, we have helped a million Georgian citizens. Tomorrow, if this law is passed, organisations that deal with domestic violence or people with disabilities will also be branded as foreign agents,” he added.