Georgia: rallies against the law on "foreign agents" continue in Tbilisi.
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Georgia at political crossroads as 'foreign agent' bill draws protests
By Felix Light
April 29, 20248:57 PM GMT+5Updated a day ago
Item 1 of 4 People take part in a pro-government rally in support of a bill on "foreign agents" in Tbilisi, Georgia April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze
[1/4]People take part in a pro-government rally in support of a bill on "foreign agents" in Tbilisi, Georgia April 29, 2024. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Summary
Ruling party determined to push law through
Critics call it Russian-inspired and authoritarian
Britain, EU, US oppose bill
TBILISI, April 29 (Reuters) - Georgia faces more protests this week as lawmakers resume debate on a "foreign agents" law that opponents denounce as a Russian-inspired tool to crack down on freedom of speech.
The bill would force organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents, a term that carries connotations of spying.
It has ignited a political crisis in the polarised South Caucasus country, which has hopes of joining the European Union and was awarded EU candidate status in December.
The EU has repeatedly said, opens new tab the bill - which returns to parliament for its second reading on Tuesday - is a threat to those ambitions. Britain and the United States have also opposed the bill, while Hungary and Russia have defended it.
Thousands of people protested against the bill for days when it passed its first hurdle in parliament in mid-April. Since then, students have been shutting down Tbilisi's main avenue on a nightly basis, facipro-government rally in support of the bill was set to take place outside parliament on Monday night.
Local media have cited a senior ruling party official as saying the party was helping with costs and laying on transport so its supporters could attend the demonstration in the capital, while insisting they would only be there of their own volition.
The government said on April 4 it was reintroducing the foreign agents bill to parliament, after abandoning it last year following protests theGeorgia is at a crossroads now, and the outcome of these rallies and these parliamentary elections will decide where Georgia will be heading for the next few years," said Kornely Kakachia, head of the Georgian Institute of Politics think tank.
"It seems like Georgia is now between authoritarianism and the potential to become part of Europe."
'THE RUSSIAN LAW'
Georgia’s opposition has dubbed the bill "the Russian law", comparing it to similar legislation that the Kremlin has used to suppress dissent.n.ng off against riot police.
