Georgia's opposition has called the proposed amendments to the laws on grants and parties repressive.

Georgian Dream has announced its intention to completely ban foreign funding of NGOs, as well as to ban former employees of NGOs that received foreign funding from party membership for eight years. Criminal penalties for violations are also planned. The opposition believes the proposed amendments are repressive in nature and are intended to completely ban politics.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, Georgian Dream initiated amendments to the Law on Grants, according to which foreign grants can only be received with the permission of the government or a person authorized by it. Receiving a grant without consent is prohibited and will entail liability. On April 16, 2025, parliament adopted the amendments to the law in the third reading. The amendments to the Law on Grants adopted by the Georgian Parliament are aimed at isolating the country internationally. The authorities did this deliberately to block Western funds, facilitating the financing of pro-Russian organizations, Georgian analysts stated at the time.

What is Georgian Dream planning?

Georgia plans to significantly tighten the Law on Grants: those who receive foreign funding without government approval or who seek lobbying services abroad could face up to six years in prison. The initiative was presented on Wednesday by parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirtskhalia after a meeting at the central office of the ruling Georgian Dream party, according to Novosti Georgia.

"We are amending the legislation so that in the future no one can find an alternative way to finance unrest and violence in Georgia from outside the country," JamNews quotes the politician as saying.

The definition of the word "grant" will be expanded, and, in essence, any inflow of foreign money will be considered a grant. The preliminary new wording reads as follows: "A grant shall be considered funds transferred by any person to any person in monetary or in-kind form, which will be used for any activity affecting the Government of Georgia or any part of society, if they are aimed at shaping or implementing attempts to change the country's domestic policy," the publication states.

Such a grant will be available only with the prior permission of the government.

The concept of "other state legal entity whose activities essentially include activities on issues related to Georgia" will be established. According to this amendment, an organization registered abroad that "essentially operates in Georgia" will also be required to apply to the Georgian government for permission to transfer funds to the country. Otherwise, it will be subject to criminal liability.

"Criminal liability will be introduced for violations of the rules established by the Law on Grants." The relevant violation will entail a fine, community service for a term of 300 to 500 hours, or imprisonment for up to 6 years, Kirtskhalia said.

"An aggravating circumstance has been added to Article 194 of the Criminal Code, namely, money laundering for the purpose of carrying out activities on political issues in Georgia will entail imprisonment for a term of 9 to 12 years. The bill also provides for criminal liability for a leading official of a political party who violates the organic law "On Political Associations of Citizens," in particular, who receives foreign funding. For this violation, a fine, community service for a term of 300 to 500 hours, or imprisonment for up to 6 years will be imposed. External lobbying becomes punishable under criminal law. In particular, the direct or indirect transfer of money, securities, other property, property benefits, or other advantages to a citizen of another state or a legal entity in exchange for carrying out activities on political issues concerning Georgia will be punishable a fine, community service for a term of 300 to 500 hours, or imprisonment for up to 6 years,” Interpressnews quoted him as saying on January 28.

Changes will also be made to the law “On political unions of citizens.” These changes will prohibit a person receiving a salary as a result of foreign funding, that is, working in an organization whose annual income from a foreign state exceeds 20%, from joining a party. Such a person will not be able to become a member of any political party for eight years.

The State Audit Service will receive the right to monitor the financial activities of a political party member. That is, the state will have access to the accounts of even an ordinary party member. These changes will also affect those who have a declared party-political goal.

. Entrepreneurs will also be fined for public political activity. Changes to the Code of Administrative Offenses are also planned. In accordance with these changes, any company carrying out Public political activity unrelated to their core business activities will be fined. The first fine will be 20,000 lari (approximately $7,000), and for a repeat offense, 40,000 lari, according to a publication by JamNews.

The opposition criticized the bill

Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, called the upcoming changes "repressive."

"Terror in Georgia. A new repressive law bans party membership for those who worked in foreign-funded NGOs! A cruel move by the ruling party aimed at suppressing free political life and bringing Georgia closer to the Russian model," Zurabishvili wrote on social media.

The opposition Lelo party stated that in the event The amendments will be overturned in court. The party calls the government's initiative unconstitutional and compares it to Soviet practices of collective responsibility and political control.

Lelo points out that the proposed changes make virtually any financial transaction potentially punishable, including money transfers from emigrants abroad. Furthermore, the amendments, the party says, introduce administrative liability for so-called "non-core" public political activity by businesses. "The politically bankrupt and legitimized Georgian Dream, as a direct Soviet relic, is already openly engaging in financial racketeering against the population, thus attempting to achieve universal subordination," Novosti Gruziya quotes the party's statement.

Georgian Dream wants to ban politics and deprive us of civil rights. They want to turn society into a mass of obedient and silent people who can be controlled by lies and intimidation. This is precisely what the new "The 'legislative act' they announced. Only a party that fears the truth acts like that," Freedom Square party representative Levan Tsutskiridze was quoted as saying.

"The legislative initiative announced by the Georgian Dream government subjects any kind of cooperation with foreign countries to state control and imposes very high criminal liability. This is an interest in establishing complete control over all of society, and not just over the institutions and sectors that were practically destroyed by last year's repressive laws and unprecedented restrictions on political freedoms. But the initiative also has a hidden, overarching goal: to force a critical mass of society to migrate," says Tamta Mikeladze, a representative of the Center for Social Justice.

In her opinion, scientists, doctors, students, and human rights activists participating in foreign-funded projects and wishing to directly or indirectly influence society, in connection with the new amendments, "must either agree to work under the complete control of the state—or face prison terms of six, and sometimes nine to twelve years."