The Ambassador of Georgia to France announced Thursday May 9, 2024 to present his resignation due to the “tensions” linked to a bill on “foreign influence”, denounced by the opposition and in the West, which according to him hinders the country’s relations with its foreign partners.
This text, an initiative of the ruling party, the “Georgian Dream”, has provoked the anger of part of the population, who consider it contrary to the European aspirations of this Caucasian country.
Also criticized by Westerners, it is inspired by a law used for years by the Kremlin to repress dissident voices in Russia.
“I call for the withdrawal of this bill”
The ambassador, Gotcha Javakhishvili, explained on “submitted a request to the Georgian authority to terminate my duties in this position before the deadline”.
“The current tensions and climate generated by the bill […] in our relations with our foreign friends and partners make my mission […] extremely difficult”he said in a message in French.
In an interview with the newspaper The world Gotcha Javakhishvili clarified his approach: “It is a question of principle and honor. I call for the withdrawal of this bill”he said, while specifying that he did not want to get started “in political debates nor gain points with the opposition”.
“Today, Moscow compliments us”
The text was presented last year and then abandoned after large-scale street protests, but the Georgian government chose to reintroduce a very slightly modified version.
Read also: 20,000 demonstrators in the streets in Georgia: three questions about a controversial bill
It plans to require any NGO or media organization receiving more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register as an “organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power”. The government assures that this measure is intended to ensure “transparency” on the organizations’ funding.
For Gotcha Javakhishvili, the government “continues to say that he wants Georgia to join the EU, but how would this be possible with such a law, and despite warnings from our partners? » And to continue: “Today, our European friends criticize us, and Moscow compliments us. This is unbearable to me. »
Major demonstrations in the country
Demonstrations sometimes mobilizing tens of thousands of people against this text have shaken Georgia since the beginning of April.
Citizens and political figures of the country mobilized against the bill are the target of violence and threats, two international NGOs also denounced on Thursday.
Citizens receive ” threat “ while the politicians and activists involved are targeted by “organized attacks and reprisals”denounced the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International in a press release.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) for its part deplored that certain demonstrators, including a 17-year-old high school student, were “violently beaten by the police”. During demonstrations against this bill, a journalist from theAFP had seen police use rubber bullets against those gathered. At least four activists and political figures opposed to the government said they were attacked in the past week, according to local media.
