Protests in Georgia: authorities release detained activists, opposition demands government resignation 

The protesters in the center of Tbilisi have begun to put forward political demands and, along with the resignation of the government, demand early elections. This was reported by Rustavi 2 TV channel.

Opposition politicians appeared on the rostrum and addressed the protesters, saying that it was necessary to change the government.

Part of the opposition says they will not disperse and the protests will not stop until they are convinced that the path and course to Europe is unshakable.

Interpressnews reports that on March 10, another rally will be held in front of the Georgian parliament. The organizers called to gather at 11:00.

The statement was made by one of the leaders of the rally, Nodar Chachanidze, after it became known that a plenary session was scheduled for March 10. There will be only one issue on the agenda: the second hearing of the "foreign agents" bill.

Earlier today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said that it had released all the protesters who were detained near the parliament on March 7 and 8 under administrative charges. This was reported by Interpressnews.

"All persons detained under the Code of Administrative Offenses have been released. Some of the detainees were brought before the court, while the rest were released after the expiration of their term in the pre-trial detention center," the ministry said.

At the same time, the statement of the Ministry of Internal Affairs suggests that new arrests of protesters are possible in the future.

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to investigate the violent events of March 7-8 under Articles 353 and 187 of the Criminal Code (damage to property, assault on police officers)... Investigative actions are being taken to establish, identify and detain the persons who attacked law enforcement officers and used other violent acts during the protest near the parliament," the statement said.

Earlier, the agency reported 133 detainees, most of them under administrative charges of disobedience to police and "disorderly conduct." Of the 133 detained at the rallies near the parliament on March 7-8, 132 are at large, and 1 remains in custody under an article of the Criminal Code.

According to Novosti-Georgia, it is unclear whether the Interior Ministry's statement also applies to people who were detained after midnight on March 9. The number of people detained under articles of the Criminal Code is also not known.

• 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.