Georgian PM claims some NGOs registering abroad to “avoid being labelled as organisations “pursuing interests of foreign power”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Wednesday claimed some non-governmental organisations in the country were registering abroad to “avoid being labelled as organisations “pursuing interests of foreign power” through the law on transparency of foreign influence.

In his interview with the Imedi TV programme, Kobakhidze claimed these entities were “completely wrapped in their own lies and farce”, adding the “public will not accept the acts” of the NGOs.

He said if organisations failed to comply with the requirements of the law, the country’s Ministry of Justice could impose a one-time penalty of ₾25,000 ($9,277).

The law 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.

He noted more than 450 organisations had “voluntarily applied” for registration as groups “pursuing interests of foreign power” at the National Agency of Public Registry of the Ministry under the law, and claimed the development represented “another proof” the law was “absolutely clean and correct from a legal point of view, without any stigmatisation and restrictions”.

The only result is the creation of the only website where any Georgian citizen can enter and obtain information about an organisation's finances. Nothing else is happening, and everyone will notice it”, he added.

The head of Government also claimed the civil movement Shame, which he called the “main organiser” of protests directed against the law’s adoption in May,  had “admitted the law is not Russian”, in reference to the term used by opponents of the legislative piece, after the movement’s decision to revoke their registration following their supporters’ objections, after they had announced last week they would register in the database under the controversial law.

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

He alleged the movement had “proved to be a shame itself” and called it a “great shame for our public” and for “its own party comrades in the collective United National Movement” opposition.

Kobakhidze also commented on four ongoing lawsuits against the law by saying they had “no prospects” and claimed the registration of of 450 organisations under the law and the Shame movement’s “recognition” had proved the law had “no problem of stigmatisation or restrictions”, adding the share of complainant organisations was “much less than one percent”, and alleging “political forces that are built on lies have once again spread lies”.

The PM also claimed observers “supposed to be impartial organisations of the highest standard” had “come out directly with polarising and anti-ruling Georgian Dream party messages” and alleged “all boundaries between NGOs and politics have been erased”.

He also referred to “rich NGOs”, that he said “represent one of the main sources of polarisation in the country”, adding the public had “already understood these NGOs are small units of the collective UNM opposition”.