Georgia withdraws 'foreign agent' bill, protests to continue

The ruling Georgian Dream party said Thursday that it was dropping a controversial bill on "foreign agents." The announcement came after two nights of violent protests and criticism that the draft law represented an authoritarian shift in the country.

Georgian Dream said in a statement it would "unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations." It cited the need to reduce confrontation in society.

The proposed bill, similar to laws in Russia, would have classified non-governmental organizations and media outlets as "foreign agents" if they received 20% or more of their funding from abroad.

The proposal was officially to target the disclosure of money flows from abroad, but protesters feared it would be used to harass government critics and clamp down on the opposition.

What was the public reaction to the bill?

Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside the parliament building shortly after the bill received initial parliamentary approval on Tuesday.

Protests were dispersed with 77 arrests, but reignited again on Wednesday night, seeing violent confrontations with the police on both nights.

Some protesters used petrol bombs, stones and plastic bottles to attack security forces. Police responded with tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the protests.

Opposition parties held a joint briefing after the bill was withdrawn. Droa party representative Giga Lemonjala said protests would continue until the bill was formally denounced and all those detained during protests were released.

Why do protesters oppose the bill?

The bill has garnered much criticism due to its similarity to a 2012 Russian law that also brands organizations receiving foreign funding as "foreign agents." The notorious Russian law has been used to crack down on dissent, particularly since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

The Georgian government said the bill was modeled on US foreign agents laws, which have been used since the 1930s.

The Georgian Dream Party had previously defended the need for the law, arguing it would reveal critics of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The church is among Georgia's most powerful institutions.

Standing in the way of the EU membership

The European Union delegation in Georgiawas quick to welcome the withdrawal of the controversial law on Thursday, encouraging Georgian political leaders to resume "pro-EU reforms" in line with 12 priorities set out for Georgia to achieve candidate status.

Many Georgians pushing for the country to join the EU feared the proposed legislation would complicate their already long route to joining the bloc.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had called the draft legislation a "very bad development," adding that it could hurt Georgia's ties with the bloc.

European Parliament members Maria Kaljurand and Sven Mikser, who are heavily involved in the handling of Georgia's bid to join the EU, had also voiced concerns. They said the draft law "goes directly against" Georgia's candidature dreams.

Last year, the EU refrained from granting Georgia candidate status alongside Moldova and Ukraine. It said political and judicial reforms were needed first.

rmt/sms (Reuters, AFP, AP. dpa)