Washington calls for “containment” in protests against foreign agent law in Georgia

March 9 () –

The United States Government has called for “containment” in the protests that are taking place in the streets of the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, due to the Executive’s attempts to approve a controversial law on foreign agents.

“We urge the Georgian Government to respect the freedom of peaceful assembly and peaceful protest. We urge all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation or violent action, respecting the rule of law and Georgia’s democratic values,” State Department spokesman Ned Price declared at a press conference.

Price has shown his “support for the Georgian people and their aspirations”, as well as their universal rights, while indicating that the Government has to “reflect the aspirations of its own people”. “Always

Likewise, he has reiterated Washington’s “concern” about the bills on foreign agents presented by Tbilisi, since “if they become law, they would stigmatize and silence independent voices and the citizens of Georgia who are dedicated to building a better future within of their own communities.

In this sense, the spokesman indicated that the approval by the “Parliament of these Kremlin-inspired bills is incompatible with the clear desire of the people of Georgia to integrate into Europe and develop democratically.”

“It’s an issue that has sparked a lot of debate and protest among the people of Georgia, and we think rightly so, because the implications would be significant for the people of Georgia and could be significant for the kind of relationship we want to continue to have with the government. of Georgia,” he said.

“The passage of these laws, we believe, will harm Georgia’s relations with its strategic partners and jeopardize Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future,” Price said, adding that the country “aspires to further integration with Europe and the European Union.” .

The statements by the US State spokesman thus add to those made from Brussels by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who has condemned the repression of the demonstrations in Georgia and has insisted that the controversial law on foreign agents, “does not is compatible” with the acquis communautaire.

Michel has pointed out that the right to peaceful protest is at the center of any democracy, after at least 66 demonstrators have been detained in protests outside Parliament in Tbilisi. The detainees have been accused of public disorder and disobedience to the authorities for not following the guidelines of the agents deployed to quell the demonstrations that took place on Tuesday in the Georgian capital.

The bill would promote a “blacklist” of organizations, the media and entities that generally receive funding from foreign countries, a measure that many have criticized for considering that it will end up undermining the fundamental freedoms of citizens and have compared it to the laws of media ruling in Russia.