Tear gas, water cannon, 66 detained - Georgians against the law on "foreign agents"
Georgia and the West against the law on foreign agents
The Georgian Interior Ministry, the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party and high-ranking representatives of Western organizations, including the European Union, issued statements after the events in Tbilisi on the night of March 7-8.
Thousands of residents of Georgia have been protesting the adoption of a law “On foreign influence” for several days. NGOs, independent media, and all Western partners of Georgia say it is based on the Russian model and that Georgia has turned sharply from the pro-Western path. On March 7, tens of thousands took to the streets after news came that parliament had passed the bill on its first reading. People were dispersed with tear gas and water cannon.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili made a statement of support for the protesters. “Georgia, which sees its future in Europe, will not allow anyone to take this future away. This future belongs to our next generation. No one has the right to take your future from you. No one has the right to set a trap for us,” she said and again promised to veto the law if passed.
Ministry of Internal Affairs: 66 people arrested, 50 police officers injured
According to the report, 66 people were detained and 50 police officers were injured. Charges for those detained were petty hooliganism and disobedience to lawful demands of the police.
But two criminal cases have also been initiated.
One under article 353 of the criminal code: attack on a law enforcement officer. The article provides for a fine, house arrest from 6 months to 2 years, or imprisonment for a period of 2 to 5 years. If it is proved that the attack was committed by a group, imprisonment for a term of 4 to 7 years.
Another case was initiated under article 187 of the сriminal сode: public vandalism. Here the punishment is a fine, community service, or correctional labor for up to one year. House arrest from 6 months to 2 years is also possible, or imprisonment for a period of 1 to 3 years.
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The Interior Ministry stated that:
- There were attempts to infiltrate Parliament and the police used proportionate force to prevent them from doing so.
- The protest was not peaceful: the protesters threw Molotovs, stones, disobeyed the lawful demands of the police, used physical force, broke windows of the parliament building, and damaged fences.
Ruling party: “The government is passing the law to identify spies”
On the morning of March 8, the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, made the same statement.
“Now our society will know everything – who funded [the secret meetings of the conspirators] in Bakuriani, who finances the extremist organizations Shame, Vremya and others, whose funding is Bolshevik propaganda against the Orthodox Church, whose funding hinders the development of the country’s energy industry, and much more. All this has nothing to do with Europe and European values.”
“Passions will subside, and the public will be left with the transparency of NGO finances. We believe that the public should have full information about all this and draw appropriate conclusions,” Kobakhidze said.
EU High Representative: “This law is incompatible with the values of the European Union”
Joseph Burrell said the bill “is a very bad thing for Georgia and its people.”
“This draft law in its current form contains the danger of negative impact on civil society organizations and the media. The project is incompatible with the values and standards of the European Union. It runs counter to Georgia’s stated goal of joining the European Union, which is supported by the vast majority of Georgian citizens. Its eventual acceptance could have dire consequences for our relationship.
The European Union calls on Georgia to fulfill its obligations to promote democracy, the rule of law and human rights and reminds that people have the right to protest peacefully,” a statement says.
US Embassy in Georgia: “This is a black day for Georgian democracy”
“A black day has come for Georgian democracy. The discussion of a Kremlin-inspired law is incompatible with Georgia’s clear desire for integration with Europe and democratic development of the country.
The adoption of such a law would damage Georgia’s relations with strategic partners and undermine the important work that many Georgian organizations are doing to help their fellow citizens. This process raises questions about the ruling party’s real commitment to Euro-Atlantic Integration,” the US Embassy in Georgia said in a statement.
Ned Price, State Department spokesman: “We have the leverage to hold anyone involved in restricting human rights to account”
“I am not talking about specific individuals who may fall under US government sanctions. But we have a number of levers that will allow us to hold anyone around the world who is responsible for restricting human rights accountable.
There are many norms written in various laws and regulations that we will take into account in order to hold accountable those who take actions against the will of the Georgian people and against what the Georgian people expect,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
Deputy US Secretary of State: “This law is based on the interests of Russia”
“Definitely this law proceeds from the interests of Russia, not Georgia. We believe that it is in Georgia’s interests to work towards Euro-Atlantic integration. But this law does not serve this. And most importantly, the Georgian people do not believe that this is the right choice for Georgia.
We will continue to work with our partners in the Georgian government to ensure that we are working towards their priority of Euro-Atlantic integration,” US Deputy Secretary of State Todd Robinson, who arrived in Tbilisi on March 7, stated.
Georgia and the West against the law on foreign agents
German Ambassador to Georgia: “The bill is incompatible with Georgia’s aspirations towards the European Union”
“Regarding the draft law on transparency of foreign influence, the position of the EU as a friend of Georgia remains unchanged: its adoption is incompatible with Georgia’s aspirations for the EU and the norms and values of the European Union,” German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer said.
Georgia and the West against the law on foreign agents
