Georgia

Demonstrations resume over 'Russian law' that critics say could harm efforts to become EU member state.

“We are standing with the people of Georgia and the aspirations that they have.” “You represent a free Georgia, a Georgia which sees its future in the west, and won’t let anyone take this future away,” she said in an address recorded in the US, where she is on an official visit. He accused the opposition of being “destructive and radical”. “Adoption of this ‘foreign influence’ law is not compatible with the EU path, which the majority in Georgia wants,” the European Council president, Charles Michel, said in a tweet on Wednesday. “Every day will be like that,” said the opposition leader Nika Melia. “The law is against its own people.

Police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds outside parliament as Georgia's ruling party rammed through its “foreign agents” bill.

[prominent personalities](https://civil.ge/archives/528908), have directly or indirectly expressed opposition to the draft legislation. [Support Eurasianet](https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalism-needs-your-support?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer): Help keep our journalism open to all, and influenced by none. [also suggested](https://eurasianet.org/international-pressure-grows-on-georgia-to-reject-foreign-agents-bill) that the bill would flout at least two of 12 conditions it has for granting Georgia EU membership candidate status. In spite of everything, Georgian Dream leaders continue to insist that the adoption of repressive bills would not have any negative effects on the country's democracy or European future. [The Interior Ministry said](https://police.ge/ge/shinagan-saqmeta-saministros-gantskhadeba/15699) "up to 50" of its staff received injuries, some of which required surgical intervention. There were also [allegations of unprovoked beatings](https://publika.ge/is-sachiroebs-hospitalizacias-magram-jerjerobit-hyavt-dighomshi-zurab-jafaridzis-dzma/?fbclid=IwAR033xXxCKF7RHUtYrC1sffwee2wUxeeTJq5i342FBBmuNGYnbzgXd-HSyM). “Pursuing these laws will damage Georgia’s relations with its strategic partners and undermine the important work of so many Georgian organizations working to help their fellow citizens.” (The parliament did not deliberate on an alternative, more restrictive bill "on registration of foreign agents," and it is unclear if another vote will be held in the coming days.) local time, the parliament, with 76 votes for and 13 against (plus 23 abstentions and 26 not present), passed the bill in the first of three hearings, further rousing the ire of the protesters. According to the watchdogs, in some cases the forceful methods were also used without prior warning. The last-minute schedule change was seen as an attempt to prevent the mass mobilization of protesters against what they call a "Russia-style" law. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), a

A 'foreign agent' bill reminiscent of a controversial law passed in Russia has triggered protests in Tbilisi.

But Salome Zourabichvili, the president of Georgia, addressed demonstrators and assured them of her support. He has also accused Georgia’s “radical opposition” of stirring up protesters to commit “unprecedented violence” during Tuesday’s rallies, according to Georgian news agencies. “A large part of independent media in Georgia gets outside support. At least 66 people were arrested on Tuesday evening as The draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” officially targets the disclosure of money flows from abroad, but critics feared it was a way for the government to crack down on opposing voices. Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, for a second consecutive day to protest against a controversial “foreign agents” draft law.

Thousands of people staged a second straight day of protests in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Wednesday, rallying against a "foreign agents" law which ...

Critics say Georgian Dream is too close to Russia and has taken the country in a more repressive direction. We want Georgia to be in the European Union, and I am sure it will be," he said in a video address. Critics, including President Salome Zourabichvili, say it is reminiscent of a law Russia has used to crack down on dissent and could harm Georgia's chances of European Union membership. "We want to be in the European Union, and we will be. Unlike clashes on Tuesday night, there were no signs of demonstrators throwing petrol bombs or stones, although at least one police car was overturned. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

Parliamentary majority wants closer regulation of foreign-funded NGOs. Washington and Brussels object. A second Color Revolution in the offing?

The new proposed law would make that more difficult, it is claimed by the US and EU, who want Georgia to join the EU and NATO. The US Embassy in Georgia called the legislation "Kremlin-inspired" and said it was incompatible with the country's desire to join the European Union. Who is more representative of the “wider public interest” there: lawmakers democratically elected by the public, or foreign governments and NGOs? Who defines “the wider public interest in Georgia”? I wrote at TAC the other day about how the aptly named Power showed up in Budapest last month to announce a $20 million commitment to fund initiatives in Hungary clearly aimed at undermining the democratically elected government of Viktor Orban.](https://twitter.com/PowerUSAID/status/1631356011024900103?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email) ](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/protests-erupt-as-georgian-parliament-passes-draft-foreign-agents-bill/ar-AA18kNew)And lo, a top Color Revolutionary herself weighed in last week: [If you follow the link to the news story, you’ll see that the Georgian president opposes the bill because it would hurt European integration.

Last month, Mo'minjon, an Uzbek citizen, was traveling to Georgia with his German fiancé Ida when he was turned away at the border without explanation.

“So, they let the whitish woman enter and they rejected the other one.” He and a Kyrgyz man were sent back to Turkey immediately with a paper that gave the same reason – “other.” Later, however, according to the [EU-Georgia Readmission Agreement](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:22011A0225(03)), Georgia takes responsibility to readmit all third-country nationals or stateless persons illegally residing in the territory of the EU if those hold “a valid visa or residence permit issued by Georgia” or moved to the EU only after “having stayed on, or transited through, the territory of Georgia.” While this could be a reason for Tbilisi to develop a stricter migration policy that blends well with EU standards, it does not justify unpredictable passport control outcomes and the unanswered questions of people turned away from the border. And he said he was attempting to cross into Georgia for the second time… “A similar situation happened to me in the summer of 2018,” wrote one social media user. Only one box was checked in the document Anvarullo received regarding his denial of entry – “Other cases envisioned by Georgian legislation” – with no substantial clarity on the reason he was denied entry. “The business you are doing in Turkey and Georgia is over, we are not idiots.” [letter of complaint](https://www.rferl.org/a/locals-helpless-as-prostitutes-take-over-georgian-village/24638723.html) to the local authorities about sex workers from Central Asia and their clients – mostly from Turkey. In the early 2000s, many young women from Uzbekistan became victims of [human trafficking](https://repatriate-am.livejournal.com/28157.html) and were forced into prostitution in Georgia – one NGO reported “ [hundreds](https://fergananews.com/articles/7814?fbclid=IwAR3Ifw4Ao_FSPaSVVcNqZl75-AmAQSeWcsWzV9jkPm9LSPxRJW53O9LCAms) if not thousands” of sex workers working in the country. Together with Turks, they have taken over Gonio, and possibly the whole of Batumi,” [complained](https://www.rferl.org/a/locals-helpless-as-prostitutes-take-over-georgian-village/24638723.html) one Georgian to RFE/RL back then. In her second attempt to re-enter Georgia, she audio-recorded the conversation between herself and a border guard who indirectly called her a prostitute. The border police let her into the country only after she showed them her other passport with visas to the U.K., U.S., and Europe.

Crowds return to Georgia's capital after riot police broke up a protest against a Russian-style law.

More than 80% of Georgia's population supports Georgia's European perspective, which is also enshrined in the country's constitution. It suggests they are acting in the interest of foreign forces rather than doing good for the country and society. The party has applied to the Council of Europe for its opinion. Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze said criticism of the draft law as similar to Russia's own repressive legislation was misleading. However, the government in Tbilisi has adopted a neutral stance, refusing to openly back Ukraine or impose sanctions on Russia. Ruling party Georgian Dream maintains the legislation dates back to US legislation in the 1930s.