The Georgian Harm Reduction Network, which unites 26 member organizations, expresses concern about the attempt to pass the Russian law initiated by the ruling party in the Georgian Parliament. First of all, this law will have a negative impact on the situation of vulnerable groups, since the provision of vital services for them in the country is carried out with the support of international donors.
According to the presented initiative, non-governmental organizations will be obliged to register as agents of a foreign country, which will become the basis for strengthening state control, therefore the risks of blocking donor funding received for any noble purpose will increase, no matter how important it is for the democratic development of the country, but it will not be in the interest of the government. The government, if it wishes, can at any time discredit an unwanted non-governmental organization and completely eliminate it from the civil platform.
The government has the opportunity to access information that contains personal data, media outlets may have to name the source of information, journalistic investigations will be hindered, which may eventually turn out to be a facilitator of corruption and criminal dealings of public officials.
