The hearings will commence on August 29.
This legislation has sparked disputes regarding its compliance with the Constitution of Georgia, with objections raised by 122 media and civil society organizations, as well as two media entities, The Network of Information Centers and Studio Monitor.
At today’s session, the rapporteurs representing the 122 plaintiffs will be Giorgi Davituri, a lawyer from the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), and Ketevan Eremadze, a former judge of the Constitutional Court. The two media organizations will be represented by Gela Mtivlishvili, the founder and editor-in-chief of “Mtis Ambebi” Additionally, the Constitutional Court has received submissions regarding the Russian law from the President of Georgia and 38 opposition deputies.
The constitutional lawsuits contest the law’s provisions, which establish criteria for registering entities as organizations that promote the interests of foreign powers and regulate related transparency issues. The plaintiffs argue that the law’s terminology and various repressive mechanisms lead to the stigmatization of civil organizations and media outlets, obstruct their operations, hinder them from achieving their objectives, and could ultimately disrupt or terminate their existence, as noted in the Constitutional Court’s statement.
The authors of the lawsuits have also requested that the disputed provisions be suspended until a final court ruling is made. The case will be heard by the Plenum of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, with representatives from the legislative body, including “Georgian Dream” deputies Anri Okhanashvili, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Archil Gorduladze, present at the session.
The controversial “law on transparency of foreign influence” has been effective in Georgia since June 3 and designates grant-receiving organizations, including media outlets, as “promoters of foreign power interests.” On August 1, the Minister of Justice of Georgia issued an order approving rules for maintaining the register of these organizations, requiring them to submit financial declarations and undergo monitoring. Organizations had until September 1 for voluntary registration. After this date, the Ministry of Justice will conduct monitoring, impose fines of 25,000 GEL on any unregistered “promoters of foreign power interests,” and register them regardless of their consent.
Source: MediaChecker
