On 9 March, the ruling party Georgian Dream introduced a legislative amendment in Parliament proposing that enforcement of the so-called “Russian law” (the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence) be transferred to the State Audit Office. According to the explanatory memorandum, the State Audit Office already exercises oversight and enforcement functions in relation to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Law on Grants; accordingly, it is deemed appropriate for the same authority to be entrusted with the implementation of this law. The draft amendments were introduced by Georgian Dream Members of Parliament Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Cheishvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aluda Ghudushauri, Davit Matikashvili, Guram Macharashvili, Akaki Aladashvili, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Aleksandre Tabatadze.
The so-called “Russian law,” first initiated in 2023, establishes a requirement for civil society organizations and independent media receiving foreign funding to register in a designated registry and is referred to by critics as the “Russian law” due to its similarity to the “foreign agents” legislation in force in Russia. The draft law prompted large-scale public protests and international criticism in Georgia, following which its adoption was suspended in 2023. In April 2024, however, the ruling party reintroduced the draft law in Parliament and, on 28 May 2024, following the override of the presidential veto, the law was adopted.
The law obliges organizations receiving foreign funding to submit annual financial disclosures and provides for sanctions in the event of non-compliance. It has subsequently served as the basis for a series of further restrictive legislative amendments, which critics contend are aimed at suppressing dissent and constraining the activities of civil society and independent media.