Georgia’s ruling party has submitted draft laws aimed at declaring foreign funding for civic activity illegal, Amnesty International said in a statement.

“The government’s proposed changes to the law on grants are highly damaging and signify Georgia’s further expansion of authoritarian practices to silence and criminalize dissent and entrench power. The amendments significantly broaden the definition of a grant to include any foreign funds or in-kind support for virtually anything that the government does not approve of, from political activism to analytical work and expert advice. If the law were to pass, no ‘grants’ will be allowed without the government’s express prior approval, and those who receive them otherwise risk being locked up,” said Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International.

“This is nothing but a naked attempt to criminalize in Georgia virtually anything related to independent civil society, political opposition and engagement in public life outside of government control.

Seeking, using and receiving foreign funding, remuneration or in-kind support is central to the functioning of civil society and is a right protected under international law. The Georgian authorities must drop these legislative proposals and bring the country’s legislation – already way out of sync – fully in line with its international human rights obligations, including the rights to freedom of association and expression,” the statement says.