The European Court of Human Rights has registered a collective complaint by a number of Georgian non-governmental organizations against the so-called “foreign agent registration law.” This was reported by one of them, Transparency International – Georgia (TI).

As the organization explains, the lawsuit challenges not only the content of the law itself, but also the specific steps taken by the authorities on its basis. According to the plaintiffs, the government’s initiative is not aimed at regulating the legal sphere, but at limiting dissent and restraining the work of independent organizations.

The TI statement indicates that the norm contradicts basic rights – freedom of association and expression, the right to privacy and a fair trial.

The Economic Policy Research Center, the Rule of Law Center, Publica, the European Orbit of Georgia organization, and the Civil Movement for Freedom have also joined the complaint.

Let us recall that on May 31, the so-called “direct copy” of the American Foreign Agents Registration Act officially came into force in Georgia, replacing the “Russian” version of the law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” also known as the “foreign agent” law. Failure to comply with the requirements established by this law, including the obligation to register as a foreign agent, entails criminal liability and punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 5 years.