Hundreds of people demonstrated Thursday in front of the Parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, against the law reform that aims to regulate the »influence of foreign agents» in the country, the Interior Ministry confirms 36 detainees.
It is the Law on »Transparency on Agents of Foreign Influence», criticized by opposition parties for its similarity with the law in force in Russia since 2012, which after being revised in 2022 tightened the existing regulations and put new pressure on the media and NGOs.
This Thursday, ahead of the revision of the draft regulation in the Parliament, hundreds of people demonstrated at its gates, including opponents and media workers. 36 people were detained under the Code of Administrative Offenses on the basis of articles 173 and 166,» explains a statement from the Ministry of Interior, picked up by InterpressNews.
According to the OC Media portal, several members of Parliament have also been expelled from the premises during the hearing, among them the leader of the opposition United National Movement (MNU) party, Levan Khabeishvili. This is the second draft of the bill to be approved, which was being discussed today by the Foreign Affairs and Security and Defense Committees.
A group of members of Parliament joined under the name of the People’s Force, although they were previously part of the Prime Minister’s party, Georgian Dream, and presented in February the draft law, which also has the support of the Government.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vowed on Tuesday to veto the bill if it is finally passed in the legislative chamber, saying it is an »unacceptable» proposal that would alienate her country from Europe.
POLLEMONY ABROAD The proposed legislation raises doubts outside Georgian borders as well. The European Union Diplomatic Service warned last week that the bill raises serious doubts in the EU: »Creating and maintaining an enabling environment for civil society organizations and ensuring freedom of the media is at the heart of democracy.»
He has also assured that he supports Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU, but »the adoption of the draft law would be incompatible with these aspirations and with EU norms and values».
Also the spokesman for the U.S. State Department, Ned Price, assured that the law »would stigmatize and silence the voices and criticism of Georgians who are dedicated to building a better country for their fellow citizens, for their communities».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
