Massive protests broke out in Georgia after Parliament passed a controversial draft bill that would require some organisations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents”. The capital Tbilisi saw thousands of protesters demonstrating outside Parliament as police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse the crowd, Reuters reported.
The legislation, which has drawn widespread international condemnation, have been criticised by rights groups as curtailing basic freedoms in the country.
The development comes at a time when EU is currently considering Georgia’s application for EU candidate status. Plans to join NATO and the EU are enshrined in Georgia’s Constitution and the contentious bill may be a setback to Georgia’s EU plans.
What Is The Controversial ‘Foreign Agent’ Bill?
The two bills, “transparency of foreign agents” and the “registration of foreign agents”, require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and independent media who receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to declare themselves as foreign agents.
The legislation is similar to a law Russia passed in 2012 that allows authorities to take action against NGOs, media outlets and others deemed “foreign agents”. The law has been used to target and suppress Western-funded NGOs and media.
Historically, the term “agent” in Russia and Georgia has been used to denote “spy” and “traitor”, giving a negative connotation to the work done by civil society.
The two bills were submitted to Parliament by the anti-Western People’s Power movement, a close ally of the governing Georgian Dream party. There were 76 votes for the bill and 13 against. The bills must pass further readings in Parliament to become law.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili backed the demonstrators and vowed to veto the legislation. The President called it “an unnecessary law that did not come out of nowhere, but was dictated by Moscow”, CNN reported.
“I stand with you because you are representing today the free Georgia which sees its future in Europe and will not let anyone steal this future,” she said in a video message. “Nobody has the right to take away your future,” she said.
However, the ruling Dream Party has the parliamentary majority to overcome a presidential veto, according to a Human Rights Watch report.
How Have Protests Fanned Out Across Georgia?
After the draft bill was passed, protesters clashed with police in Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, leading to injuries on both sides. Television footage showed protesters throwing a Molotov cocktail at a cordon of riot police.
Stones and petrol bombs were also hurled at security forces, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Protesters, holding Georgian and European Union flags, were seen storming a barricade at the entrance to the Parliament building and tearing it down.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry said there were injuring on both sides in what it called an “extremely violent protest”. The government has asked protesters to disperse, warning that “legal measures” would be taken to restore calm, CNN reported.
How Have Foreign Nations And NGOs Responded?
The US Embassy in Georgia called the legislation “Kremlin-inspired” and said it was incompatible with the country’s desire to join the European Union. “Today is a dark day for Georgia’s democracy,” the embassy said in a statement, adding that the legislation raised questions about “the ruling party’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration”.
US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the draft legislation would be a tremendous setback and “would strike at some of the very rights that are central to the aspirations of the people of Georgia”, BBC reported.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the draft law was a “very bad development” for the country and could seriously affect its ties with the EU.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have said the legislation would impede rights to freedom of expression and association in the country with onerous financial reporting requirements.
“The ‘foreign agent’ bills seek to marginalize and discredit independent, foreign-funded groups and media that serve the wider public interest in Georgia,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
(With inputs from BBC, Reuters, AFP)