Georgia rocked by clashes over ‘foreign agent’ bill
Riot police in Georgia deployed tear gas and water cannons against demonstrators protesting a bill criticized by the opposition for its perceived threat to media freedoms.
Outside parliament, crowds waving Georgian and European Union flags gathered for a second consecutive night to voice their opposition to what they view as legislation inspired by Russia.
The controversial “foreign agent” bill passed its second reading on Wednesday, with MPs voting 83 to 23 in favor. If enacted, the law would mandate organizations to disclose foreign funding. However, critics argue that the bill is authoritarian and could undermine Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her apprehension about the situation in Georgia, emphasizing the country’s desire for a European future. She urged Georgia to remain committed to its path toward Europe.
The protests have persisted for weeks, marked by clashes between police and demonstrators on Rustaveli Avenue. On Tuesday night, violence erupted, resulting in injuries to several individuals, including Levan Khabeishvili, the chairman of the United National Movement (UNM), whose battered face circulated on social media.
Eyewitnesses accused some police officers of assaulting protesters, prompting condemnation from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze reported six officers injured and 63 arrests, characterizing the protest as turning “completely violent.”
He said Mr Khabeishvili had been hurt while trying to break through a police cordon, although his party said he had been beaten by police.
Georgia was granted EU candidate status last December and polls suggest about 80% of the population is in favour of joining.
Protests against the bill began in mid-April after the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed measures requiring non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and independent media to register as organizations “bearing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from foreign donors.
They would also be monitored by Georgia’s justice ministry and could be forced to share sensitive information – or face hefty fines of up to 25,000 Georgian lari ($9,400; £7,500).
Opponents say the measures are inspired by authoritarian legislation that neighboring Russia uses to crush dissent. But the billionaire founder of the Georgian Dream party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has claimed a Western “global war” party is using the country as part of its confrontation with Russia.
Protesters fear that the proposed foreign influence bill could be used to crush critical voices ahead of the parliamentary elections later this year.
A similar authoritarian law that came into force in Russia in 2012 has since been used to marginalize voices challenging the Kremlin – including prominent cultural figures, media organizations, and civil society groups.
Many Georgians fear the measures will derail Georgia from its path towards the much-coveted status of EU membership, says the BBC’s South Caucasus correspondent, Rayhan Demytrie.
Several European leaders have warned the proposed bill is “incompatible” with European norms and values.
But the government of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze is standing firm.
Mr Kobakhidze has accused NGOs of attempting to stage revolutions in Georgia twice, of promoting “gay propaganda” and of attacking the Georgian Orthodox Church.
The government insists the bill is about ensuring transparency and rejects the notion that it is against European values – or that Russia is behind the legislation.
On Monday, Mr Ivanishvili told a rally of Georgian Dream supporters that foreign-funded NGOs threatened Georgian sovereignty and that the opposition UNM would be punished for crimes against the state after this year’s elections.
Georgia’s ceremonial president, Salome Zourabichvili, described the pro-government rally as a “Putin-type” event.
Ms Zourabichvili, who is strongly opposed to the foreign influence bill, has appealed to the interior ministry to stop using “disproportionate force” against protesters.
