The Lithuanian parliament, Seimas, has passed a resolution, expressing support to Georgian protesters opposing the “foreign influence” and urging the country to repeal it.
Ninety-three MPs voted in favour of the resolution, five voted against and ten abstained.
“The Seimas of Lithuania regrets the fact that the actions of the government of Georgia are not compatible with the aspirations of the Georgian society, the country’s declared EU and NATO integration aspiration, and may have serious long-term consequences for the country’s geopolitical direction and democracy, and expresses its support for the people of Georgia as they are defending their right to freely express their civic voice and their country’s European future,” the resolution states.
The document argues that the “foreign influence” law adopted by the Georgian parliament is designed to restrict the activities of NGOs and civil society, is essentially the equivalent of Russia’s “foreign agent” law and is incompatible with European values and democratic principles.
Lithuanian lawmakers urged their Georgian counterparts to repeal the new law, to ensure freedom of speech and assembly, and to foster civil society in the country.
Lithuanian MPs strongly condemned the use of violence against peaceful protesters, journalists, and the “organised campaign of defamation, intimidation and direct physical violence against representatives of civil society”, saying that actions aimed at suppressing peaceful assemblies and freedom of expression are unacceptable, particularly in an EU candidate country.
The Georgian government must take responsibility for the situation in the country, Lithuanian lawmakers say.
Their resolution calls on EU institutions to consider retaliatory measures if the Georgian government overrides President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto, takes steps to implement the law, and fails to stop the persecution of civil society.
Last week, despite mass protests, the Georgian parliament adopted the controversial “foreign influence” law, demanding that all organisations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad register as foreign agents.
The foreign ministers of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Iceland visited Tbilisi last week and said that the adoption of this law would halt the process of European integration in Georgia.
For its part, Brussels has said that the law is incompatible with Georgia’s EU membership aspirations. The Georgian president has vetoed the law.
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