Georgia protests rise against Russian-style ‘foreign agents law’

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Georgia’s capital over the weekend to protest a deeply contentious draft law to crack down on “foreign agents” — seen by critics and rights groups as a threat to democracy in the South Caucasus nation.

Crowds marched in Tbilisi on Saturday, in the rain, to demand that the bill not be adopted. It is expected to be approved by Georgia’s Parliament in a vote on Friday.

The Georgian Dream political party, which controls Parliament and the government, introduced the bill in Parliament last month, after a similar effort was shelved in 2023 following violent demonstrations. The bill is an echo of a law in Russia, Georgia’s neighbor, that has been used to crush political dissent.

If adopted, the foreign agents law would require nongovernmental groups and independent media outlets to register as “agents of foreign influence.” It would apply to organizations, activist groups and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. The government says the law will promote transparency about the sources of funding of nonprofits and media outlets in Georgia, and prevent foreign countries from trying to influence Georgian politics.