Political tensions have been increasing drastically in Georgia, since the end of 2024 – particularly as a result of a series of repressive legislative changes aimed at systematically weakening the opposition, civil society and the media. The ruling party “Georgian Dream” passed several controversial laws in spring 2025, including a new so-called ‘Foreign agent law’ (FARA), which obliges organisations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as ‘foreign agents of influence’. Additionally, a new law on foreign funding programmes criminalises projects that had not obtained permission from a governing authority before accepting those funds.
At the same time, the government tightened criminal law: new legislative initiatives provide for significantly higher penalties for protests, particularly for blockades of traffic or public buildings. The definition of ‘disturbing public order’ has been expanded to make it easier to criminalise protestors and demonstrations. Human rights organisations speak of a deliberate attempt to suffocate civil resistance. Free and independent reporting is also being increasingly suppressed: for example, Georgian media are no longer allowed to accept foreign funding.
The infographics of the GEO4EU project concisely present six current legislative changes and their consequences for civil society. It should be noted that there are many other repressive measures and legal steps against Georgian society that cannot be presented within the limits of an infographic.
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