If this is really FARA, it should not apply to NGOs and the media, and if they apply, then it will be the “Russian Law 3”, - said Nino Lomjaria, Executive Director of the Georgian European Orbit.
As she noted on PalitraNews, FARA does not oppress or regulate independent NGOs that have their own agenda in the USA.
“As for the FARA and the fact that it was supposedly translated word for word into Georgian legislation. If this is really FARA, in the USA it regulates relations and organizations that represent foreign organizations. It does not oppress or regulate independent NGOs that have their own agendas, for which they receive various international assistance and funds in order to carry out their tasks. If this is really FARA, it should not apply to NGOs and the media, and if they apply, then it will be the “Russian Law 3”. In Russia, Russian laws prohibit NGOs from receiving funding from abroad, forcing them to register as agents. If this is FARA, then we will not be affected and we can be calm,” Lomjaria said.
As Lomjaria states, no one is going to say that they are agents of a foreign country for fear of criminal liability.
“We do not consider that we are accepting the patronage of a foreign power and that we are pursuing their interests. We are independent organizations, we have our own vision. If they start repressions and persecution, let them start, but no one is going to say that they are agents of a foreign country for fear of criminal liability. They can call themselves the agents of a foreign country,” she noted.
In addition, Lomjaria spoke about the continuous protests, which have been going on for more than 3 months, and about the fines that the participants of the protest receive.
Lomjaria calls the fines and the seizure of charitable funds financial repression. According to her, the purpose of the fines is to sow terror.
"They want to leave people in a situation where there are no state institutions, courts, prosecutors, other institutions that are responsible for protecting human rights and there is solidarity between citizens towards each other, which is organized through such funds, where funds are filled by people like us so that citizens do not become poor.
How do you imagine, how can a person standing there pay even one fine? They fine the parents of prisoners, they fine journalists.
The state does not publish accurate information, so we do not have information about how many citizens were fined 5,000 GEL. The amount of fines probably exceeds several million. This is financial repression”, she said.
In addition, Lomjaria responded to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's statement, where he said that "the 5 days were an imitation of a real war, an attempt to violently overthrow the government, today 300-350 people are gathering every day, this is an organized activity."
According to Lomjaria, Kobakhidze is a person who should be charged with sabotage, unconstitutional change of order and violation of the constitution.
“He is a person who went against the Constitution of Georgia - announced an anti-constitutional decision to stop Georgia's path to European integration, and all this was followed by an adequate reaction from society. Therefore, he should speak about himself with such epithets, because he was the only reason why these people took to the streets, he is the one who organized a revolution in this country,” Lomjaria said.
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