ALBAWABA - Faced with violent demonstrations domestically and rebuke abroad, Georgia's ruling party backpedaled on its controversial "foreign agents" legislation, withdrawing it from the legislature.
Protests in Georgia turned violent on Tuesday as thousands took to the streets to demonstrate against a new ‘foreign agents’ law that they say will make them ‘part of Russia again’ and limit their freedom.
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 8, 2023
?: https://t.co/cLzmMkzUIq pic.twitter.com/evNWgojtfD
"As a party of government responsible to every member of society, we have decided to unconditionally withdraw this bill that we supported," the Georgian Dream party said in a statement on its website on March 9.
I am sending the draft laws on transparency of foreign influence to @VeniceComm to find a fine balance btw legitimate goals of transparency, accountability & security on the one hand and freedom & rights of nonprofit organizations on the other hand. https://t.co/YXyyue0rI4 pic.twitter.com/8okhjRbnYc
— Shalva Papuashvili ?? (@shpapuashvili) March 8, 2023
Protests began when lawmakers took up the controversial foreign agents law on March 7, according to Radio Free Europe.
It said the proposed legislation is backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and was approved in a hastily called first reading on March 7.
Georgia to drop 'foreign agents' law after protests https://t.co/R9ra9U820q
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 9, 2023
The bill would force civil society organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to be classified as foreign agents, according to Radio Free Europe and Georgian media outlets, which said that Western nations slammed Georgia for introducing restrictive legislation.
Media reports said some people drew similarities between the bill and legislation enacted in Russia, where all organizations or individuals receiving financial support from abroad can be declared as "foreign agents." The label forces them to submit to audits.
