Georgian PM: Shame Movement “proves to be shame itself”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Saturday said the civil Shame Movement, as the main organiser of the protests directed against the adoption of the law on transparency of foreign influence in May, “proved to be shame itself” twice in two days.

Speaking for the press, Kobakhidze made the comment in response to the movement’s decision to revoke their registration against the backdrop of their own supporters’ objection after they announced on Friday that they had registered themselves in the database of organisations pursuing the interests of a foreign power at the National Agency of Public Registry of the Justice Ministry of Georgia
“Shame was one of the organisers of the protests against the law on transparency. Ultimately, the main organising entity proved that the law does not cause any stigmatisation and that there is nothing wrong with it, including the fact that the law imposes no restrictions,” Kobakhidze noted.

The head of government pointed out that what happened that day was also “interesting” because “the organisation Shame, one of the “main proponents of liberal-fascist ideology in Georgia, became victims of liberal fascism themselves, which forced them to reconsider the decision they had made”.

Giorgi Mzhavanadze, the Executive Director of the Shame Movement, resigned from his position following the registration under the transparency law, calling the organisation's decision a “mistake.” Furthermore, Shame said that they do not intend to pay the fines imposed on them.

The Shame Movement is a civil movement based in Georgia that was founded in 2019 after a year-long unceasing protest against the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The law on transparency of foreign Influence requires non-commercial entities and media outlets in the country to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.