Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili has launched a constitutional challenge against a controversial "transparency of foreign influence" law introduced by the country’s Georgian Dream government.

Passed in May, the law mandates stringent regulations on foreign-funded media and NGOs. It has sparked massive street protests and strained Georgia's relations with Western allies. The legislation is said to ape the Russian “foreign agents” law, heightening fears that its introduction means Tbilisi is moving ever closer to Kremlin-style suffocation of liberal democracy.

Presidential parliamentary secretary Giorgi Mskhiladze said that the lawsuit is the first instance of a Georgian president filing a case in the Constitutional Court. He criticised the law, labelling it unconstitutional and in violation of Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which commits Georgia to integrating into European and Euro-Atlantic structures.

"With this lawsuit, the president requests the suspension of the mentioned law and its final cancellation", Mskhiladze said.

The law's passage, despite a presidential veto, has deepened the rift between Zurabishvili and the ruling Georgian Dream party, which supported her election in 2018. The party has increasingly clashed with the president since her election, with tensions culminating in a dispute over her right to represent Georgia abroad and a failed impeachment attempt in 2023.

Various NGOs and civil society groups plan to file similar lawsuits against the validity of the “foreign influence” law. They also intend to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Georgia's Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, who is seen by many as much less critical of the government, endorsed the president’s appeal to the Constitutional Court and committed to participating in the court’s proceedings.

Russia's “foreign agents” legislation is used to stifle dissent and suppress independent organisations. Critics argue that the Georgian law, like its Russian counterpart, targets media outlets and NGOs, hindering democratic processes.

The Georgian Dream party defends the law, citing the necessity for transparency in foreign funding. However, comparisons to similar laws in the US and Europe are deemed inaccurate due to significant differences in scope and application.

In response to the introduction of the legislation, the United States announced sanctions against the Georgian government and warned of a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation. The European Union suspended €30mn in aid to Georgia and threatened further measures, highlighting the law's potential to distance Georgia from EU integration.

Georgia’s civil society, striving for independence from Russian influence, continues to resist the law, reiterating its detrimental impact on NGOs, media organisations and broader democratic freedoms.