Georgia opposition leaders urge UK to oppose foreign influence bill

Georgian opposition leaders have called on the UK to do more to oppose what they say is a crackdown on civil society in the former Soviet country.

They urged the foreign secretary to show the governing party that the international community was united against the proposals.

The Transparency of Foreign Influence Bill is expected to pass its final parliamentary hurdles in coming days.

Opponents have staged mass protests in the capital Tbilisi against the law.

The legislation would force non-governmental groups and media to register as "organisations serving the interest of a foreign power" if more than 20% of their funding comes from overseas
The governing Georgian Dream party says the measure would increase transparency and defend Georgia's sovereignty.

Thousands march in Georgia over foreign influence bill
But opponents say it will be used by the government to crush opposition voices and parties ahead of a general election in October.

They say it is also designed to disrupt Georgia's ambition to join the European Union, which could not accept the new law.

The legislation has been dubbed "the Russian bill" because it is similar legislation used by the Kremlin to silence its own critics.

Georgia opposition leaders urge UK to oppose foreign influence bill
44 minutes ago
By James Landale,
BBC Diplomatic correspondent

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Getty Images Protester holding placard that reads 'No more Russian shadows over Georgia's future'Getty Images
Protesters believe the proposed law would bring in Russian-style restrictions
Georgian opposition leaders have called on the UK to do more to oppose what they say is a crackdown on civil society in the former Soviet country.

They urged the foreign secretary to show the governing party that the international community was united against the proposals.

The Transparency of Foreign Influence Bill is expected to pass its final parliamentary hurdles in coming days.

Opponents have staged mass protests in the capital Tbilisi against the law.

The legislation would force non-governmental groups and media to register as "organisations serving the interest of a foreign power" if more than 20% of their funding comes from overseas.

The governing Georgian Dream party says the measure would increase transparency and defend Georgia's sovereignty.

Thousands march in Georgia over foreign influence bill
But opponents say it will be used by the government to crush opposition voices and parties ahead of a general election in October.

They say it is also designed to disrupt Georgia's ambition to join the European Union, which could not accept the new law.

The legislation has been dubbed "the Russian bill" because it is similar legislation used by the Kremlin to silence its own critics.

The proposal has brought tens of thousands of people out onto the streets in the small country on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.

The US has been vocal in attacking the bill, with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan writing on X at the weekend that the US was "deeply alarmed about democratic backsliding in Georgia".

He said MPs had to choose between "the Georgian people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations or pass a Kremlin-style foreign agents' law that runs counter to democratic values... we stand with the Georgian people".

In contrast, the UK has been more discreet in expressing its opposition.

In a written parliamentary answer published quietly last week, the Minister for Europe, Nusrat Ghani, said the UK's ambassador in Tbilisi had "consistently voiced our concerns about the proposed law" in recent meetings with the prime minister and president