(1/1) Protests against the planned “foreign influence” law continue in Sakartvel. EPA-Elta photo. Download
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Protests against the planned “foreign influence” law continue in Sakartvele. EPA-Elta photo.
Thousands of people took to the streets again in Sakartvele on Sunday to protest against a planned “foreign influence” law. About 20,000 demonstrators with Sakartveli and EU flags gathered in the capital Tbilisi, AFP journalists said. The rally was organized by opposition parties and human rights groups.
Thousands of people took to the streets again in Sakartvele on Sunday to protest against a planned “foreign influence” law. About 20,000 demonstrators with Sakartveli and EU flags gathered in the capital Tbilisi, AFP journalists said. The rally was organized by opposition parties and human rights groups.
Demonstrators first gathered in Republic Square and then started the “March for Europe” in the direction of the parliament. The ruling party “Sakartvelo’s Dream” announced in early April that the draft law, which was canceled a year ago after mass protests, will be put to the vote again, amended. It was approved after the first reading in mid-April.
The draft law provides that organizations with at least 20% receives its funds from abroad, must register with the authorities. Critics see parallels with Russia’s “foreign agents” law, which allows local authorities to crack down on critical media and organizations.
The plans for the law have again sparked mass protests in the former Soviet republic. And the EU called on Tbilisi to abandon the law. Sakartvelas has been officially an EU candidate country since December.
The law has yet to pass the second and third readings in parliament. Pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili can veto the law, but parliamentarians loyal to the government have enough of a majority to override the veto.
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