Key Moments In Georgians’ Fight To Cancel ‘Foreign Agents’ Legislation
How Georgia’s ruling party was forced to stand down on legislation that critics say would restrict the work of independent media and NGOs.
December 29, 2022
The People’s Power party, which is allied to the ruling Georgian Dream party, announced plans to register two draft laws that would regulate the activity of “foreign agents.”
February 14, 2023
People’s Power introduced draft legislation titled “On The Transparency Of Foreign Influence” for debate in parliament.
February 21, 2023
People’s Power announced it would soon introduce another draft law, which it claimed would be analogous to the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)
March 7, 2023
Georgian Dream passed the initial version of the draft “foreign agents” law in its first reading in parliament. Thousands took to the streets of Tbilisi and protested outside the parliament building. President Salome Zurabishvili supported the protesters, saying the law “must be revoked” and that it “could only have arisen at Moscow’s behest.”
Vano Shlamov (AFP)
March 8, 2023
Protests and clashes continued, with activists setting up roadblocks and police using water cannons on protesters.
Dato Koridze (RFE/RL)
March 9, 2023
Georgia's ruling party announced it had “unconditionally” withdrawn the controversial "foreign agents" law after days of violent protests against it.
March 10, 2023
Lawmakers in parliament voted against the bill 35-1 in the second reading of the draft, thus canceling it.
- Source: Media reports