'Russian law' in Georgia sparks concern among independent media

SCOOP © FRANCE 24

A new bill in Georgia requires media, nongovernmental organisations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. Critics have denounced the bill as “the Russian law” because Moscow has used similar legislation to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists critical of the Kremlin. So in Georgia there are fears the legislation could crack down on dissent ahead of October's elections. FRANCE 24 spoke to Georgian journalists George Gogua, Margarita Antidze, and Mariam Nikuradze.