The situation in Georgia is dramatic, but I did not come here for sympathy. Now we are in a decisive battle to protect our sovereignty, independence and democratic future. We are not going to back down! , - Eka Gigauri, the head of the non-governmental organization "Transparency International - Georgia", stated this during a speech at a hearing held in the US Senate, where the topic of discussion is "laws against non-governmental organizations and other tools of repression directed against democracy".
As Gigauri noted in her report, the authorities continued a coordinated disinformation campaign using Russian methods, where they present the civil society and international friends as a "global war party" willing to destabilize Georgia.
According to Gigauri, the government went on an openly anti-American track and questioned the strategic partnership with the West.
"I am Eka Gigauri, I am the head of "Transparency International - Georgia", one of the largest civil society organizations working on the topics of good governance and corruption in the country. I will tell you about the legislation hostile to non-governmental organizations in Georgia and I will share with you my personal experience as a human rights defender regarding government attacks.
The trend of introducing restrictive laws on non-governmental organizations in various countries of the world is alarming. These laws were first introduced in Russia by the Putin regime, resulting in a consolidated autocracy. In countries like Georgia, along with the adoption of these types of laws, autocratic rulers begin to act against the will of the majority of the population - at the same time reinforcing Russian anti-Western disinformation, at the same time tearing down society and undermining partnerships with the US and the European Union.
In order to succeed in this battle, two main elements are necessary:
Unity of active citizens, whose conscious choice is freedom and readiness to protect it; and second, the international democratic community's strong support for an active civil society. In the case of Georgia, this means that the United States must speak and act with moral authority, firmness and conviction. For three decades, America has become exactly such a partner for us, when it helped Georgians to protect their sovereignty, independence and democracy.
This does not mean that America should do the work of the Georgian people. No and no! The well-thought-out choice of the citizens of Georgia is freedom instead of authoritarianism, and no one, not even the biggest ally, can give you freedom. The people, for whom America has always been a source of inspiration, know for sure that freedom can only be gained through struggle!
Where there are strong pro-democracy movements, and where the partnership with America is threatened by countries like Russia - as we are now witnessing in Georgia - consistent support of citizens' democratic aspirations can be transformative.
In Georgia, the "Russian law" was followed by public excitement. However, the authorities continued to cross red lines to establish Russian Qaeda rule. Therefore, for Georgians, the October 26 parliamentary elections are, in fact, a referendum! A clear choice between a democratic, successful European future and becoming a bogged-down Russian satellite.
If the Georgian democracy is defeated and the country falls under the Russian orbit again, it will destroy the chances of democratic development in the eastern and southern neighborhood of Georgia. Geopolitically, this means that Russia will continue to mark us as a backyard and turn us into its sphere of influence.
In Russia, the tried-and-true autocratic goals are simple: suppress critical voices, close civil space, and suppress free media. Anti-Non-Government legislation, disguised with a false facade of legality, is a very handy tool for achieving these goals.
In Georgia, this process took place in three stages:
First phase: preparing the ground for legalizing repression
It all started with a massive coordinated discrediting campaign against civil society, the US Agency for Development (USAID) and American organizations supporting democracy. Along with other colleagues, my family members and I have been the target of verbal attacks and intimidation by senior officials.
Second phase: Adoption of the law in spite of public opposition - Despite the public uproar, clear warnings from American and European friends, the law was passed anyway. The authorities continued the coordinated disinformation campaign using Russian methods, where they present the civil society and international friends as a "global war party" willing to destabilize Georgia. The government went on an openly anti-American track and questioned the strategic partnership with the West.
Third phase: enforcement of Russian law
Now, parallel to this conversation, the third phase of law enforcement has started in Georgia. The law's repressive measures include:
Attaching the label of "foreign agents" to the members of the Georgian non-governmental organization. For Georgians, this term is humiliating and associated with Soviet repressions.
imposing heavy monetary penalties and confiscation of property for those who refuse to register as "agents" or fail to provide the requested information.
Requesting sensitive personal information, refusal to which also leads to fines or freezing of assets.
The situation in Georgia is dramatic, but I did not come here for sympathy. Now we are in a decisive battle to protect our sovereignty, independence and democratic future. We are not going to back down!
We are not alone in this struggle. Georgian people are supported by American and European friends; They talk to the Georgian autocrats with clear messages; They encourage those who defend democracy; They sanction those who harm democracy; They come out with the initiatives of "Friendly Act" and "Georgian People's Act". This support is heartily appreciated by every Georgian, for whom freedom is the highest value and oppression is unacceptable.
Georgians are well aware that freedom does not come easily and it needs to be earned - our entire history is full of examples of such struggle and sacrifice. With the help of America and its allies, we have already built a developing democracy in this part of the world, and I believe that with your support, we will still win in style!
I am happy to answer your questions, including how we can make America's strong support for the Georgian people even more effective," Eka Gigauri said at the hearing.
