US Congressional Committee Passes MEGOBARI Act

Jul 15, 2024, 09:23 AM

The US Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee has passed the MEGOBARI Act, which imposes sanctions on supporters of Georgia's 'foreign agents' law while offering increased support if Georgia strengthens its democratic and pro-Western stance. The Act, authored by South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson and co-sponsored by Rep. Bill Keating, will now proceed to a full House vote. Meanwhile, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court seeking the annulment of the 'foreign agents' law, arguing that it contradicts Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution. The law, passed in May 2024, requires groups receiving foreign funding to register as foreign agents and has been widely criticized for its potential to stifle civil society and democratic engagement in Georgia.