Georgian journalists treat set up of dictatorship as result of amendments to Law on Grants

The adopted amendments to the Law on Grants for the first time in Georgia's modern history have enshrined authoritarianism legitimately. These changes will lead to the destruction of critical media and the establishment of a dictatorship, media professionals have stated.

On April 1, the Georgian Parliament adopted the "Act on Registration of Foreign Agents", which introduces the concept of individuals-foreign agents, as well as amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, prohibiting TV companies from receiving foreign funding. Analysts have stated that nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and media will not be able to continue their work.

The amendments to the Law on Grants, apart from the need for government consent as a precondition for receiving foreign grants, imply a tightening of the reporting system for NGOs.

According to Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Parliament, it is important for the Georgian people to know what is being financed in Georgia and whether it is in their interests.

"The law in its essence ... is an act of people’s persecution. It is aimed at leaving citizens alone with the penal system of the ruling party and prohibiting the international community from providing them with support," the NGO "International Transparency-Georgia" has stated, noting that these amendments will turn Georgia into a closed and isolated state, where authorities will exercise total control, and the society will be deprived of any chances to receive support from international partners. Besides, the changes are aimed at stopping the activities of the NGOs and media outlets that receive grants and provide information about law violations and corruption.