- The parliament in Georgia has approved a controversial regulation on “foreign agents” in the first reading.
- Critics fear that the Georgian provision could be modeled on a similar law in Russia.
- For the second night in a row, thousands demonstrated in front of the parliament building in the capital, Tbilisi.
The majority of deputies in the Georgian parliament voted in favor of the draft law “On the transparency of foreign influence”, which officially aims to disclose the flow of money from abroad.
The proposed law provides for organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their financial resources from abroad to be registered as foreign proxies. They must also submit to the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. Violators are subject to draconian fines.
Demonstrations in Tbilisi
The project is supported by the governing party Georgian Dream. President Salome Zurabishvili immediately announced that she would veto the law. However, this can be overruled by Parliament.
For the second night in a row, thousands of pro-European demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital Tbilisi, the media reported.
Legend:
Thousands of demonstrators in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi. (03/08/2023)
REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze
The police had already broken up a demonstration with water cannons and tear gas on Tuesday evening; 66 people were arrested.
Parallels to similar Russian law
Critics see parallels to a similar law introduced in Russia in 2012. For them, the project represents a slide into authoritarianism in Georgia. They also fear that the law will reduce their chances of joining the European Union and NATO.
In February, more than 60 media outlets and civil society organizations said they would not abide by the law should it come into force.