After days of intense demonstrations in Georgia, the country’s ruling coalition issued a joint statement announcing the withdrawal of the bill on “foreign agents”. The bill was seen by protesters as a prototype of another similar law in Russia that is aimed at limiting Western influence in the country.
The text foresees the elaboration of a list of companies or organizations that receive 20% or more of international investment. These institutions are labeled “foreign agents”.
“We can see that the adopted bill caused controversy in society. The lying machine knew how to present the proposal in a negative way and deceive a certain part of the public. The bill was falsely labeled ‘Russian law’ and its adoption at first reading was presented to society as a departure from the European course”, says the statement from the government coalition.
Last Tuesday (7), the streets of the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, were taken by mass protests against the adoption of legislation on “foreign agents” by the country’s parliament. Protesters tried to enter parliament to interfere in the vote of deputies with the phrase “No to Russian law” as a slogan.
The protests were harshly repressed by the police, who sought to disperse the protests with water cannons and tear gas. According to Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, 133 people were arrested on charges of vandalism and disobedience to the police. Another protester was arrested on a criminal charge of assaulting a police officer, facing up to seven years in prison.
This Thursday (9), the governing coalition announced that it will withdraw the controversial bill due to “differences in society”. The opposition demanded clear explanations about how this will happen, since, according to the rules of the parliament, the bill approved in the first reading cannot be withdrawn. New acts of protest have already been called.
Editing: Patricia de Matos
