Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said she would veto the law on “foreign agents.”
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However, parliament can override a presidential veto with a majority vote.
On April 17, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the bill on “foreign agents” in the first reading. The documents were supported by 83 deputies, none against. Local media write that only representatives of the parliamentary majority took part in the voting.
According to the opposition, the bill repeats Russian legislation on “foreign agents.” It forces media and organizations with foreign capital to report, and also gives the Ministry of Justice the right to conduct inspections with subsequent fines. Protests across the country are expected to intensify.
Since Monday, mass protests have been taking place in Tbilisi demanding that this law not be adopted.
Last year, the Georgian Dream party already introduced a bill “On the transparency of foreign influence.” On March 7, 2023, the Georgian parliament approved the bill in the first reading, which led to mass protests. Finally, the Georgian Dream and the People Power movement withdrew this bill from parliament.
However, in early April 2024, Georgian Dream reintroduced the bill to parliament. Unlike the first option, in the revised document, instead of the term “agent of foreign influence,” the wording “organization pursuing foreign interests” will be used.
Source: Racurs
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