On Friday, 14 June, the Saeima European Affairs Committee adopted a statement urging the Government and Parliament of Georgia to respect the wish of the absolute majority of the Georgian people to continue the country’s path towards integration into the European Union (EU) and to respect the country’s commitment, enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, to take the necessary measures to ensure Georgia’s full integration into the EU and NATO.
In May this year, the Georgian Parliament adopted the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Although President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the law, in June the Parliament overturned the veto and Speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the law. The provisions in this law restrict the activities of non-governmental organisations receiving foreign funding, in particular in the areas of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.
In their statement, the members of the European Affairs Committee emphasise that the exercise of the freedom of opinion, expression, association, and peaceful assembly is a fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia, and also reference the European Convention on Human Rights and the opinion of the European Commission for Democracy through Law, or the Venice Commission.
The law is incompatible with EU values and democratic principles, contradicts Georgia’s EU aspirations, damages Georgia’s international reputation, and undermines the country’s Euro-Atlantic integration, as set out in the statement.
The Georgian Government is called on to return to the European path, to abide by its commitment to respect, strengthen, and promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental rights, and to genuinely engage in the implementation of the measures necessary to fulfil the nine conditions set by the European Commission for the granting of candidate status and for EU membership, by involving and cooperating with Georgian civil society and political opposition
Committee members reaffirm their unwavering support for the legitimate aspirations of the Georgian people towards Europe and their desire to live in a prosperous and democratic country that fights corruption, protects human rights, and respects the independence of the media.
MPs also condemn the targeting of demonstrators by the police and organised groups, the arbitrary arrests and attempts to intimidate the opposition and representatives of civil society, and they support the right of the Georgian people to demonstrate and express their views freely without endangering their safety.
Saeima Press Service