Georgian parliament formally rejects ‘foreign agents’ bill

March 10 (United Press International) — On Friday, Georgia’s parliament formally rejected a bill that would have labeled many in the media and opposition groups as “foreign agents”.

Parliament rejected the bill by a 35-1 vote, sparking days of public protests in the capital Tbilisi. If changes are made to the original text, it can be restored within 30 days.

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The move comes after Georgia’s ruling Georgia Dream party say thursday It will drop the law after demonstrations in which dozens were arrested following clashes with law enforcement.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili once said that she would veto the bill Although Georgia Dream party leaders initially expressed the need for transparency.

“I’m proud of everyone who came out, everyone who expressed his or her will and European identity,” she said.

Georgia has applied to join the EU, but EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has condemned the legislation as “incompatible” with the bloc’s “values ​​and standards”.

Demonstrators argued that the foreign agent laws mirrored laws Russia uses to purge opposition groups and suppress independent media. Organizations in the former Soviet republic of Georgia will be forced to register as “agents of foreign influence” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from “foreign powers.”

Russian invasion Ukraine often Compared with similar products Georgia ceded land to the Kremlin when Moscow invaded Georgia in 2008, but many residents yearn for closer ties with the West.

Moscow spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while Russia was not involved in the legislation, he accused others of “trying to join anti-Russian elements in Georgia”. He noted that Zurabichvili spoke about the bill during a working visit to the United States on Thursday.

“This could lead to provocations, which we are following closely and are very concerned about,” Peskov said at the briefing.