By Tengo Gogotishvili | 2024-02-29

TBILISI -- A proposed foreign agent bill in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia could lead to a crackdown on foreign NGOs and activists as well as on free speech, say analysts.

Aslan Bzhania, the self-declared president of Abkhazia, on February 7 introduced the bill to parliament.

Similar to Russian legislation, the bill proposes that any individual or organization may be recognized as "performing the functions of a foreign agent" if they receive funding or "property from foreign sources" and are involved in the "political life of Abkhazia," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported.

Russia enacted its foreign agent law in 2012.

Those designated as foreign agents would be banned from "participating in politics, organizing protests and rallies, and receiving state funding," according to RFE/RL. The proposal includes imprisonment for convicted violators.

The Kremlin has used the law to target NGOs, rights groups, media organizations and individual journalists.

The main targets of the Abkhaz bill are NGOs, in particular those that receive financing from international donors.

Abkhazia in December set the tone of the legislation by banning US Agency for International Development (USAID) projects and declaring USAID Mission Director in the South Caucasus John Pennell persona non grata.

Inal Ardzinba, Abkhazia's "foreign minister," cited USAID's official stance on Abkhazia for the ban.

USAID, on its website, describes Abkhazia as "occupied." It proclaims support for Georgia's territorial integrity and its "resilience to malign influence."

"We have identified attempts... to establish direct contact between citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia and citizens of Georgia, including among refugees," Ardzinba said at the time.

Georgia and Russia fought a brief war in 2008 over South Ossetia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia. After rapidly defeating its much smaller neighbor, the Kremlin recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and established Russian military bases in both regions.

Only five countries including Russia recognize Abkhazia as independent.

Serving Russia's interests

The bill on foreign agents, should it become law, will undermine not only the restoration of trust between residents on both sides of the administrative border with Abkhazia but also all the work of civil society organizations, said the spokesperson of a Georgian-based NGO that works with Abkhazia.

All other projects in Abkhazia face a considerable risk that they will meet the same fate as USAID in Abkhazia, the spokesperson said on the condition of anonymity for him and his organization.

Under the new law, NGOs may be funded only by countries that recognize Abkhazia's independence: Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria, along with the unrecognized regimes of South Ossetia, Hamas, Hizbullah, the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People's Republic (LPR).

"The law will severely restrict freedom of action and create the risk that work will stop entirely," the spokesperson said.

"Civil organizations play a significant role in opposing the annexation of [Abkhazia]. This is the law that will provide the grounds on which the authorities will silence them, which will serve Russia's interests."

The new bill applies not only to organizations but also to individuals, he said.

"Thus, the Sukhumi authorities will be able to declare as an agent anyone who disagrees with some [policy], which will lead to ... the complete closure of Abkhazia," he said.

Russia has sought to export its foreign agent bill to friendly governments, including that of Georgia itself. The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party's effort to enact a similar law was met by protests that led to Tbilisi withdrawing the proposal last March.

Another version of the legislation is under consideration in Kyrgyzstan.

Cracking down on 'anti-Russian' sentiment

The proposed legislation comes amid a growing number of cases of Abkhaz authorities cracking down on critics and on opposition to Russia. They use the help of Russian authorities in doing so.

"Recently, we have observed cases of systematic pressure on citizens of Abkhazia when they cross the Russian-Abkhaz state border on the Psou River," according to an open letter signed by 94 public figures and published January 31.

"The Abkhaz authorities are trying to pressure their compatriots through Russian intelligence agencies, by misinforming the latter about alleged 'anti-Russian' sentiments among the Abkhaz," the letter reads.

The Abkhaz regime provides the Kremlin with lists of activists, whom Russian intelligence then detains and interrogates, its signatories claim.

The harassment from Russian authorities comes when the targeted individuals are trying either to enter or leave Russia.

Those stopped for questioning have included journalists and opposition leaders.

Opposition leader Levan Mikava, for example, said during a news conference on January 31 that he had been detained by Russian intelligence while trying to return to Abkhazia a few days prior.

"Actually, my detention... was related to my public activities and this was mentioned during the conversation," Mikava told reporters.

"They were interested in whether there are anti-Russian sentiments in Abkhazia, whether there are organizations in Abkhazia that conduct anti-Russian activities, and so on."fzinba