Georgian President files lawsuit at Constitutional Court against controversial agent law
The Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has filed a lawsuit against the controversial foreign influence law at the Constitutional Court. She announced this on Monday. Zurabishvili also published comments from her representative in parliament on Facebook, stating that the law violates a clause in the Georgian Constitution that requires the government to make all efforts to join the European Union and NATO.
The opposition and western governments reject the law as a means of stricter control over civil society and incompatible with fundamental rights such as freedom of speech. In recent weeks, there have been numerous protests against the law pushed by the government.
The law requires organizations that receive more than one fifth of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence." Critics see parallels to a law in Russia, with which the government there acts against the opposition and parts of civil society. The government in Tbilisi defends the plan as a strengthening of transparency and national sovereignty. Zurabishvili has already vetoed the law, but this was overruled by the parliamentary majority.
The handling of the law is seen as a test of whether the former Soviet republic is working towards membership in the European Union and NATO or strengthening relations with Russia. The EU has suspended the accession process as a consequence of the "Agent Law."
- The President's lawsuit against the 'Agents Act' at the Constitutional Court argues that it contradicts a constitutional provision requiring Georgian authorities to promote EU and NATO membership.
- The 'Constitutional Court' is expected to review the 'Agents Act', considering if it infringes upon the Georgian President's veto power and adherence to domestic and international commitments.
- The 'Agents Act', if upheld by the Constitutional Court, could potentially challenge Georgian's compliance with constitutional provisions and EU conditions, potentially impacting Georgian-EU relations.
