Harsh Amendments to the Law on Grants and the Criminal Code Proposed in Georgia.
Elchi.az reports that Irakli Kirtsxaliya, the chairman of the “Georgian Dream” party, has presented a package of amendments to the law on grants and a number of other legislative acts in order to prevent foreign funding of riots and violence in the country.
According to Kirtsxaliya, in recent years, foreign-funded NGOs and the radical opposition have actively participated in attempts to overthrow the government, and therefore there is a need to further tighten existing mechanisms.
According to the proposed amendments, all financial resources aimed at influencing Georgia’s domestic or foreign policy, including cash, in-kind, technical assistance, services, knowledge and expert support, will be considered grants and can only be accepted with the prior consent of the government. Organizations registered abroad but whose main activity is related to Georgia will also have to obtain permission from the government to receive grants.
The draft law also provides for restrictions for branches of non-resident legal entities. Branches receiving grants without permission will be fined twice the amount of the illegal amount.
According to the amendments to the Criminal Code, violation of grant legislation may result in imprisonment for up to 6 years. Money laundering for political purposes will be punishable by imprisonment from 9 to 12 years. Leaders of political parties receiving foreign funding and persons engaged in foreign lobbying activities will also be held criminally liable.
In addition, persons working in organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their annual income from foreign sources are prohibited from being members of a political party for a period of 8 years. Control over the financial activities of political parties will be entrusted to the State Audit Office.
The draft law also restricts the socio-political activities of business entities outside of their core activities. A fine is provided for in case of violation of this rule.