Georgian parliament flouts controversial “agent” law
After days of protests, the Georgian parliament has dropped plans for a controversial law on “foreign agents”. MPs voted against the law on second reading on Friday. The governing party, the Georgian Dream, originally supported the project, but after massive resistance from the population, declared on Thursday that it would unconditionally withdraw the draft law. Violent protests broke out after Parliament approved the law on Tuesday’s first reading.
Critics feared the law would have moved the country away from the European Union and closer to Russia. The project provided for organizations that receive at least 20 percent of their financial resources from abroad to be classified as so-called foreign agents. They should also be placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. Draconian fines were provided for violations
In Georgia, protests continue despite the abandonment of the “Foreign Agents Law”.