Ruling party MP criticizes Swiss Embassy’s concerns over Georgia’s Foreign Agents Law

Archil Gorduladze, Chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, has criticized the Swiss Embassy in Georgia for its recent statement expressing concern over the country’s new Foreign Agents Registration Act is an exact copy of the American Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

“It would be interesting to see whether the Swiss Embassy has published a similar post in the United States in English regarding the American law [referring to the original FARA]. I strongly suspect that it has not,” Gorduladze said in remarks on Thursday.

He added, “If nobody has anything to hide and their actions truly serve the interests of the Georgian people, we have introduced amendments to the law on grants. They can approach the Georgian government, receive the relevant consent, and spend their funds on good causes.”

The Swiss Embassy shared a Swiss Peace and Human Rights post on X on June 5, expressing concern that Georgia’s Foreign Agents Registration Act “raises concerns about restrictions on freedom of expression, freedom of association, media freedom, and the space for civil society.” The embassy called on Georgia to remain committed to its human rights obligations and democratic principles.

Gorduladze’s remarks come as the Georgian government continues to face mounting criticism from international partners and civil society groups, who fear that the new law will be used to stifle dissent and restrict funding for independent media and NGOs. However, Georgian authorities have defended the law as a transparency measure.

The Georgian Foreign Agents Registration Act, which came into force on May 31, 2025, mandates that media, civil society organizations, and other groups receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad must register as “foreign agents.” The law requires them to disclose their finances publicly, with penalties of fines or imprisonment of up to five years for violations.