Georgia’s ruling party will propose sweeping amendments that would give the government direct control over most foreign funding for civil society groups, independent media, and politically active organizations, and criminalize non-compliance. In a post on its official Facebook page, the ruling Georgian Dream party announced that the proposals would include criminal penalties of up to six years in prison for receiving foreign funds without permission. The ruling party has argued the changes are needed to close legal loopholes that allowed foreign funding to influence political processes in the country. “At this stage, financing unrest, violence, or revolutionary processes in Georgia from abroad has become significantly more difficult. However, in practice, we still see certain mechanisms and ways to bypass existing laws,” Georgian Dream member and lawmaker Irakli Kirtskhalia said during a briefing.