Georgia's ruling party "Georgian Dream" and other parties with a majority in the parliament decided to withdraw the draft law "On transparency of foreign influence", which caused mass protests in the country.
"We see that the adopted draft law has caused differences of opinion in society. The bill was presented in a negative light and misled a certain part of the public. The false label of “Russian law” and its adoption was presented as a departure from the European course in the eyes of a part of the public", said the statement.
Georgia's bill on "foreign agents" and protests
The law would have required media outlets and nongovernmental groups with more than 20% of their funding coming from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence". Opponents claimed the measure might suppress Georgia's hopes of one day joining NATO and the EU as a similar rule was used by Russian authorities to silence critics.
The second revision of the draft was scheduled for March 9. According to this version, any individual or legal entity receiving funds from abroad can be labeled as a "foreign agent".
On March 7-8, mass protests took place near the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue in the center of Tbilisi, where the police used water cannons and tear gas against the participants.
At the end of the rallies, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia reported that 133 people were arrested on administrative charges of petty hooliganism and disobedience to the police. Another protester was arrested on charges of assaulting a police officer. He faces up to seven years in prison.
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