Guterres calls for moderation and dialogue between Georgian authorities and civil society

May 15. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, has asked this Tuesday for moderation and dialogue from the authorities and civil society of Georgia in the face of tensions in the country due to the approval of the bill on foreign agents, harshly criticized by opposition sectors when considering it similar to Russia and by protesters who denounce that this legislation takes them away from the path towards European integration.

Guterres “echoes the concerns of the UN team in Georgia and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, (Volker Turk) about the negative impact the law may have on freedom of expression, the media and in civil society in general,” according to the deputy spokesman for the head of the United Nations, Farhan Haq, in a press conference.

Likewise, he indicated that “Guterres is following with concern the developments” in the country, but “particularly the violent clashes and reports of the disproportionate use of force by law enforcement personnel against demonstrators protesting against the project of law on the transparency of foreign influence”. For this reason, he has called for a “prompt investigation of all allegations of mistreatment.”

The legislation, called the Foreign Influence Transparency Law, is similar to Russia’s “foreign agents” legislation, with which Moscow marks critics of the government. The law requires organizations, media outlets and similar entities that receive at least 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “agents defending the interests of foreign forces.” Failure to register will be subject to heavy fines.

The Georgian authorities, who have promoted this measure, continue to defend that it only complies with the principle of transparency and that, therefore, it will improve sovereignty and bring the country closer to the European Union. However, the international community has criticized the law and promised a “response” considering it a step towards “authoritarianism.”