The law was approved in second reading with 83 votes in favor and 23 against. The party in power in Georgia intends to definitively adopt this law, which is at the origin of three weeks of street protests that the police have violently repressed.
At least 63 people were arrested last night in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, in yet another day of protests against the so-called “law on foreign agents”, which lasted almost six hours and in which six police officers were injured.
“Participants in the protest threw several heavy objects, including bottles and stones, at the officers,” Georgian Interior Minister Alexandr Darajvelidze said at a press conference.
According to the government official, the security forces had to use special means to disperse the demonstration when it took on a “violent character”.
Among those injured during the protest was also one of the leaders of the Georgian opposition, Leván Jabeishveli.
Protesters tried, on Tuesday, to block the parliament building, heavily guarded by riot police, who used tear gas to disperse opponents.
Protesters chanted “No to Russian law!” and “Georgia!” while throwing eggs at the police.
The repression of the demonstrations was criticized today by the head of European Union (EU) diplomacy, Josep Borrell, who “vehemently condemned the violence” of security forces against protesters, considering the use of force to contain peaceful protests “unacceptable”.
Protests in Georgia against the “foreign influence transparency law”, which deputies approved today in a second reading, began more than two weeks ago.
At the same time, Government supporters gathered tens of thousands of people in Georgia’s capital on Monday in support of the executive’s policy.
Tags: Georgian Parliament approves foreign influence law origin weeks protests News
