Tens of thousands of people demonstrated again yesterday in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, against a planned law to control foreign influence. They expressed their dissatisfaction with their government's friendly plans towards Moscow.
In the eyes of the demonstrators, this jeopardizes their country's chances of joining the European Union. In addition to Georgian flags, many people also waved European Union flags. According to media reports, the protests against the controversial “Russian law” took place without any major incidents.
The controversial law is crucial
The law, which is scheduled to be approved by Parliament in its third reading at the beginning of next week despite weeks of massive protests from the population, is called “Transparency of Foreign Influence.” It stipulates that NGOs receiving more than 20 percent of funds from abroad must provide an account of their source.
Many observers accuse the government of the former Soviet republic of drafting the planned law along the lines of the Russian “proxy” law in order to obstruct the work of critical associations and media. In Russia, many organizations and individuals are classified as “foreign agents”, which often causes major problems for those affected. This measure is seen as a means of political repression to silence critics.
There are fears in Georgia that the new law could pave the way for an authoritarian trend in the country, which has been a candidate for European Union membership for several months.
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