**Georgian Parliament Passes Restrictive Laws**
On April 1, the Georgian Dream parliament passed several restrictive laws and amendments without a single dissenting vote. These changes include the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and amendments to the Broadcasting Law.
**Foreign Agents Registration Act**
The FARA law aims to crack down on civil society and media organizations that receive funds from foreign sources. If an organization fails to register, its leaders may face up to five years in prison or a fine. This law is different from its US original, which focuses on monitoring foreign influence. The Georgian version targets independent groups.
**Broadcasting Law Amendments**
The amendments to the Broadcasting Law ban foreign funding for broadcasters and give more power to the government-controlled Communications Commission to regulate content. Critics say these changes will stifle critical media.
**Other Changes**
Other laws passed include:
* Introducing treason as a crime, which includes espionage and conspiracy to overthrow the government.
* Removing competition rules for public service appointments, giving direct appointment powers to ministry heads.
* Removing terms like “gender” and “gender equality” from all Georgian laws.
* Excluding civil society organizations from mandatory decision-making processes.
**Effect of the Laws**
Some legislation will take effect immediately, while others will be enforced 60 days after President Mikheil Kavelashvili signs them into law.