In recent years the human rights situation in Georgia has deteriorated significantly. The Georgian Dream initiated and introduced a draft law/law that undermines fundamental human rights.[1] Furthermore, it confronted peaceful citizens who took to the streets to protest ongoing political processes with harsh repressive policies.[2]

According to the V-Dem Institute, 2024 marked a record decline in democracy for Georgia since its independence. During this period, democracy broke down, transforming the country into an electoral autocracy.[3]

The Georgian Dream’s attempt to discredit civil society and international organizations[4] was followed by the initiation of a draft law on Transparency of Foreign Influence by the anti-Western party People’s Power (‘Khalkhis Dzala’). This move sparked widespread protests. Despite facing harsh criticism from local and international organizations, the draft law was adopted by the Parliamentary majority on March 7 during the first reading. However, three days later, on March 10, 2023, the Parliament did not support the draft law during the second hearing at the plenary session, citing popular protest as the reason.

In April 2024, a year later, the Georgian Dream reintroduced the draft law, sparking public outrage and leading to large-scale protest demonstrations. In response, the Georgian Dream escalated its repressive measures, dispersing demonstrations with disproportionate force and without legal justification in most cases. The majority of Georgian civil society organizations refused to register in the registry of organizations implementing the interests of foreign forces, putting their organizational existence at risk.

The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence imposes significant restrictions on the freedom of assembly and association, which is discriminatory and unconstitutional. Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are currently pursuing legal action in Georgia’s Constitutional court and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. While financial sanctions specified in the law have not been enforced yet, the enactment of the law has already had detrimental effect on the operations and development of organizations.

On February 24, 2025, the Georgian Dream introduced a new draft law called the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to the Parliament of Georgia. This law is a verbatim translation of the US legislation of the same name. The recent repressive policies of the Georgian Dream suggest that the main goal of this law is to suppress civil society organizations and dissenting voices. As of March 19, the draft law has passed two readings. It includes provisions for criminal liability and other sanctions for organizations that refuse to register in the Registry of Agents.

While new and stricter draft laws imposing sanctions and obligations on CSOs have been introduced, this document primarily focuses on the Georgian Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. It explores its impact on the civil society sector and media, as well as the alignment of the legislative framework with the Constitution and international legal norms.