Georgia forced to drop ‘foreign agents law’
Protesters accused party of anti-european policy that was similar to Russian law used to silence free media
Georgia’s government released dozens of opposition supporters in an attempt to defuse protests over a “Russia-style” bill targeting foreign-funded charities. The announcement came as thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside the country’s parliament for a third night despite the ruling party dropping the “foreign agents” law. Earlier the Georgian Dream party said it was shelving the draft law “unconditionally” in a bid to ease street confrontations.
GEORGIA’S government released dozens of opposition supporters in an attempt to defuse protests over a “Russia-style” bill targeting foreign-funded charities.
The announcement came as thousands of opposition supporters gathered outside Georgia’s parliament for a third night despite the ruling party shelving the “foreign agents” law.
The Georgian Dream party said it was shelving the draft law “unconditionally” with the hope of defusing street confrontations that have seen dozens arrested and injured.
Opposition politicians said they would continue to rally to demand a pro-european foreign policy and the release of those arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The country’s interior ministry appeared to bow to the second of those demands shortly after thousands converged on parliament late last night.
“All persons arrested by the employees of various structural units of MIA, during the manifestation on March 7 and 8 of the current year, have been released,” it said in a statement.
There were no initial reports of clashes at last night’s rally.
Protests erupted in Tbilisi on Tuesday night after Georgia’s parliament approved a draft law on the “transparency of foreign influence” on the first reading.
The bill would have compelled media and non-governmental organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from overseas to register as “foreign agents”.
Opponents said it was modelled on a similar Russian law that Vladimir Putin has used to silence independent media and close down human rights groups.
They also raised fears it could block the country’s path to European Union membership.
Georgian Dream said in a statement yesterday morning that it would “unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations”.
But it complained that it had been presented in a “bad light”.
The party also said it would seek to explain why such measures are necessary when the current “emotional background subsides”.
A coalition of opposition parties said at a joint briefing that protests would continue until the bill was formally denounced and those arrested released.
At least 77 people were arrested on Tuesday night when clashes broke out near parliament.
Fights broke out again when protesters returned on Wednesday evening.
Police fired tear gas and water cannon on demonstrators waving Georgian and EU flags and chanting “No to the Russian law”.
The episode has become a lightning rod for broader tensions in society and the ruling elite.
Irakli Garibashvili, the prime minister and chairman of the Georgian Dream, said the law would make the media more transparent and root out foreign influence in domestic politics.
But Salome Zourabichvili, the country’s president, has backed the protesters and threatened to veto the law if it was passed.
Such a veto would not be final because parliament is able to overrule the president.
The European Union’s delegation said it welcomed the decision to shelve the draft law.
Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, denied Russia had any role in drafting the bill.
Georgia was annexed by Russia in the 19th century and regained independence in 1991.
The countries retain close ties but have clashed several times over Tbilisi’s efforts to align with Nato and the EU.
Russia controls two break-away regions that make up about 20 per cent of the country, and went to war with Georgia in 2008 partly over its plans to align with Nato.
Georgia applied for European Union membership last year partly in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
European leaders have said it must enact reforms before it qualifies for official candidate status.