Georgian parliament rejects law on "foreign agents" in second reading

The Georgian service of Radio Liberty reported the information.

During the vote for the draft law on "foreign agents," one MP voted in favor and 35 MPs voted against.

The draft law obliged non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad to register as agents of foreign influence.

• On March 7, the Georgian parliament approved in the first reading the draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence," which largely imitates the Russian law on foreign agents. Consideration of the draft law on March 7 came as a surprise; it was originally planned to be introduced on March 9. After that, protests broke out in the country. Police fired tear gas at protesters. On the morning of March 8, 66 protesters were reportedly detained near the parliament building. The opposition announced new protests.

• On March 9, the third night of large-scale demonstrations against the scandalous "foreign agents" bill  began in Georgia. Demonstrators are demanding clarity from the authorities on how they plan to withdraw the bill on agents of foreign influence, as well as the immediate release of all detained protesters.

• After two nights of protests and the violent dispersal of demonstrators near the Georgian parliament, the Georgian authorities announced on the morning of March 9 that they were "withdrawing" the controversial "foreign agents" bill.