Georgia’s parliament on Friday formally repealed a controversial “foreign influence” bill that sparked huge protests amid concerns it resembled Russian laws used to crack down on political dissent.
The controversial legislation would require organizations that receive 20% or more of their annual revenue from abroad to register as “foreign agents” or face hefty fines – a proposal that human rights experts have warned would have a chilling effect on the country’s civil society and would undermine their democracy.
Georgian lawmakers voted against the bill in its second reading by a margin of 35 to one, according to Georgia public broadcaster First Channel.
The vote came a day after the country’s ruling party announced it would scrap the proposed legislation, hours after tens of thousands of people gathered outside the Georgian parliament for a second night of protests.
Senior officials in the US and European Union have also expressed concern about the bill.
Georgia won its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since sought a diplomatic balance between its citizens’ pro-European stance and the geopolitical ambitions of its powerful neighbor Russia.
Western leaders welcomed the decision to shelve the bill on Thursday, with the European Union office in Georgia saying it had encouraged the country’s lawmakers “to resume pro-EU reforms”.
Although Georgia was not granted EU candidate status after applying for membership in March 2022, the European Council has expressed a willingness to grant this status if the country implements certain reforms.
Meanwhile, Moscow said it was closely monitoring so-called “provocations” in Georgia with “great concern” after mass protests forced the repeal of the controversial proposed law.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Georgia’s decision to withdraw the bill was “fraught with provocation” and denied Russian influence in proposing the Putin-style “foreign agents” bill. .
“The situation that triggered these popular unrest and insurgent demonstrations has nothing to do with the Russian Federation,” said Peskov, adding that “Russia has nothing to do with it, neither in essence nor in form. We do not interfere in the internal affairs of Georgia.”
Instead, Peskov alleged US interference in Georgian affairs and claimed that Washington was “diligently trying to again add an anti-Russian element to this”.
Fight ‘not over’
Protesters outside the Georgian parliament welcomed the withdrawal of the bill but said they would continue to fight for their country to join the EU in the form of a 12-point plan.
“This is a victory for our people. We dispersed many times, but we came back with a common idea, European and national. The main demand of this protest was the rejection of this bill, but our aspiration is for Georgia to become a member of the European Union,” said Tamar Jakeli, one of the organizers of the protest, according to First Channel.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) associate director Giorgi Gogia previously warned that “the fight is probably not over”.
“Running party leader just spoke out blaming critical media and independent groups for the polarization in the country, trying to discredit them,” tweeted Gogia, associate director of HRW’s Europe and Central Asia division, on Friday.
Gogia had said the proposed legislation was a clear threat to human rights in Georgia.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
