We adopted a much more lenient law, however, you know that a certain part of the civil sector deliberately avoided enforcing the law. Such a statement made today Lado Bozhadze, a member of Georgian Dream, while talking about the FARA law.
"For nearly a century, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) has been safeguarding the United States from foreign interference, serving as a model worldwide. Georgia continues to face the same challenges discussed previously, with little change. Consequently, robust legislation is needed to protect the country from foreign influence. Although FARA was once a topic of discussion, it was mischaracterized at the time as a "Russian law".
The law adopted in Georgia is more lenient than France`s, yet parts of the civil sector intentionally avoided compliance, opting to pay fines instead of ensuring transparency. Now, even the American side highlights issues of opacity and alleged corruption, making the protection of Georgia from foreign influence even more critical.
While the Georgian government initially refrained from adopting stricter legislation like that of France and the USA, the country`s ongoing challenges have necessitated such measures to safeguard against foreign influence across media, the civil sector, and any legal or physical entities, as defined by American legislation", - said Lado Bozhadze.