In recent months, Abkhazia has been seething, and one of the issues worrying the public is the possible adoption by parliament of a law on foreign agents.

Judging by the fact that its discussion is constantly being postponed, it seems that the Abkhaz authorities themselves are not eager to adopt it and thus go against their own people, yet the curators are applying pressure and they need to respond somehow.

So they respond — we are discussing it. Don’t worry, we’ll adopt it soon. As for specific dates, we can’t say anything, but as soon as possible.

The law on foreign agents is a kind of universal red rag, at the sight of which peoples inclined toward freedom begin to boil. Hardly anyone is interested in what exactly is written there or what harm the state may cause to those labeled as agents — everyone is loudly and a priori against it.

The harm depends on the imagination of those adopting it, and the Abkhaz draft is quite harsh. However, note that no one in Abkhazia is considering the possibility of amendments or mitigation of the repressive measures planned against civil society. The very idea of such a law is unacceptable, and this shows that the issue is not only about the content of the document.

Last year, at exactly the same time, similar passions were raging in Tbilisi, where the authorities also intended to adopt a law on foreign agents, but this intention triggered massive protests. When they escalated into a three-day confrontation between young activists and the police, the draft was withdrawn and the issue shelved.

In Abkhazia, things have not yet gone that far, perhaps because the Abkhaz authorities show greater prudence and take public opinion into account more than the “Georgian Dream,” which has lost all its bearings. However, the fact remains that the threat of adopting such a law is real.

So what is the matter, and why does the law on foreign agents anger and frighten everyone at the same time?

The main argument of its supporters is that a similar law exists in the United States — it’s called FARA, and it deals precisely with foreign agents. If the beacon of democracy can have it, why can’t we?

However, considering that a law on foreign agents is always needed by a власти submerged in lies and propaganda, it is not surprising that its supporters lie here as well. Or rather, they tell half-truths, which is even worse.

The fact is that in the United States the main object of such regulations is lobbying companies. The U.S. is the only country in the world where lobbying is officially permitted, and hundreds of lobbying firms legally operate in the country.

It works roughly like this. Suppose you manufacture the world’s best knives for cutting off dogs’ tails. Your knives are perfect; they cut tails so painlessly that the animals don’t feel a thing — they even enjoy it.

Now all that’s left is for the U.S. Congress to pass a law obliging all dog owners to cut off their dogs’ tails. To achieve this, you go to a lobbying firm, pay it a hefty sum, and it launches a media campaign, finds experts who go on TV claiming that without a tail-cutting law humanity has no future and will go extinct… Lobbyists establish contacts with members of Congress, local authorities, and work with them.

If you’re interested in how the American lobbying system works, watch the excellent Hollywood movie Casino Jack starring Kevin Spacey. You’ll understand everything immediately.

Lobbying entails extremely high risks of external interference — if you manufacture knives for cutting tails, that’s one thing; if you represent Putin or Comrade Xi, that’s another matter entirely.

In general, a law on foreign agents can be of varying degrees of severity — in Russia it became one of the foundations of a repressive machine, but it has merely an auxiliary function. If the authorities want to destroy dissent, they will always find the appropriate tools. A law on foreign agents simplifies the work of the repressive machine but does not create it.

Attempts to discredit political opponents are ineffective in small societies. Everyone knows who is who there, and labeling someone a foreign agent will not ruin their reputation. Even in vast Russia, with its rich traditions of spy mania, paranoia, and xenophobia, it failed to shame “agents” at the pillory. Imagining that “foreign agents” would become objects of public condemnation in Abkhazia means knowing nothing about Abkhazians.

So what is the real issue? Why are there no discussions around this draft law, not even attempts to soften it and make it less harmful? The thing is, there are symbolic laws that in themselves mean very little but serve as indicators of a change in course.

One such law is, for example, the ban on LGBT “propaganda.” Essentially, any such law is stillborn, because LGBT propaganda does not exist in nature — one cannot become gay; one must be born that way. And if one is born that way, no propaganda is needed — nature will take its course sooner or later.

Again, what we see now in Russia — the persecution of gay people — is not prescribed in any law. Nowhere will you find a legal provision banning people of any sexual orientation from gathering in private clubs or, especially, in their own homes. In this case, the ban on propaganda merely serves as a backdrop, while Putin simply does what he deems necessary — with or without a law.

A ban on LGBT propaganda is a symbol. By adopting such a law, you demonstrate that your course is changing. It signals an intention to increasingly control society and intrude into citizens’ private lives. By passing such a law, you show where your value system lies and where you intend to go next.

The same applies to the law on foreign agents. Even the most harmless version symbolizes a shift in policy. Now your opponents are not merely adversaries, but foreign agents. Now those who are not with you are against you. A law on foreign agents in current conditions is the triumph of political polarization and the language of hatred.

You may not arrest anyone under this law today, but in any case, it is an obvious symbol of the search for enemies and the tightening of screws.

That is why everyone hates the law on foreign agents. Including in Abkhazia.

Tengiz Ablotia