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More than forty-five human rights organisations from around the world, including FIDH and OMCT within the framework of the Observatory, signed a letter in solidarity with Georgian civil society, condemning the efforts of the Georgian government to introduce the law on the transparency of foreign influence.

As human rights defenders across the globe, we are deeply troubled by efforts of the Georgian government to stifle civil society voices through the introduction of the law “on the transparency of foreign influence”.

To our friends and allies in Georgia, please know that we stand with you as you stand up against your government’s attempt to adopt the law, which clearly targets civil society organisations and independent media. This attack on freedoms of speech and assembly, as well as on basic and fundamental rights for a democratic and pluralist society affects all of us. It is an attempt to dehumanise and stigmatise civil society activity, something that runs contrary to Georgia’s human rights commitments, as well as international human rights standards and values.

In some of our own countries we too are witnessing similar developments designed to curtail accountability and defence of human rights. This kind of legislation has led to reprisals, attacks, red-tagging, imprisonments, abductions and killings of human rights defenders, environmental activists, legal professionals, journalists, workers, community leaders and other civil society actors. It is disturbing to see the same risks now facing the people of Georgia who have been fiercely fighting for liberty, independence, freedom and democracy for the past 35 years.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia. We greatly appreciate your fight for freedom and democracy and we acknowledge that the adoption of this law in Georgia will have implications for our countries too.

We call on the Georgian government to vote down the draft law and return to the reform agenda which is so much needed for Georgia’s continued leadership in democratisation and development.

As the Annual General Meeting of the Asian Development Bank takes place in Tbilisi in the coming days, we call on international financial institutions and other international partners of Georgia to publicly condemn this attack on human rights and democracy and publicly state their support to Georgian civil society and people of Georgia who demand democracy and human rights.

Accountability Counsel | USA

Action Paysanne Contre la Faim APCF | DRC

African Law Foundation (AFRILAW) | Nigeria

Alyansa Tigil Mina (Alliance to Stop Mining) | Philippines

Amnesty International | Global

Ardha Jabesa Foundation | Kenya

Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE)

Bank Climate Advocates | USA

Bank Information Center | USA

International Rivers | USA

CEE Bankwatch | Czech Republic

Centre for Community Mobilization and support NGO | Armenia

Christen Dobson (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) | Global

Cohesión Comunitaria e Innovación Social | Mexico

Collectif des ONG Œuvrant dans le secteur de mines, Environnement et Electricité COMEE | DRC

Conseil Régional des Organisations Non Gouvernementales de Développement CRONGD | DRC

Defenders in Development campaign | Global

FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the

framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights

Defenders | Global

Front Line Defenders | Ireland

Global Rights | Nigeria

HRM Bir Duino | Kyrgyzstan

Indian Social Action Forum | India

International Accountability Project | Global

International Indigenous Fund for development and solidarity “Batani” (Batani Foundation) | Russia/USA

Kashi Jermaine, Kwale Mining Alliance | Kenya

Participatory Research & Action Network – PRAAN | Bangladesh

Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law | Kazakhstan

KRuHA – People’s coalition for the right to water | Indonesia

Latinoamérica Sustentable | Latin America

Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) | Nepal

lM-Defensoras | Latin America

Jamaa Resource Initiatives | Kenya

Mirvari Gahramanli | Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Organization | Azerbaijan

Nora Sausmikat, Urgewald | Germany

Oleg Dulgaryan, human rights defender | Armenia

Otros Mundos Chiapas I Mexico

OTWatch | Mongolia

Recourse | Netherlands

Rivers without Boundaries Coalition | Global & Mongolia

Unidosc | Mexico

Uzbek Forum for Human Rights | Germany

World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of

the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders | Global

Yayasan Keadilan Iklim Indonesia (Climate Justice Indonesia Foundation) | Indonesia

Yayasan Srikandi Lestari,( Srikandi Lestari Foundation) | Indonesia

Youth for Green Communities | Uganda

For 27 years this partnership between the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) has supported and protected human rights defenders worldwide, so they can protect human rights for all of us.