April 16 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of the Interior of Georgia reported this Monday on the arrest of 14 people during massive protests in front of the Georgian Parliament over the law on foreign agents promoted by the government Georgian Dream party, and that they have also resulted in one agent injured security.
“As a result of the violent actions of the protesters, an employee of the Ministry of the Interior has been injured, and has received appropriate medical assistance,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Furthermore, he has assured that he deployed the agents to “guarantee public order” in the vicinity of Parliament and that, after “repeatedly” asking the protesters not to exceed the “limits” of freedom of assembly and expression, they have ended ” violating” public order and offering resistance against the agents, which has led to the arrest of 14 people.
This law has led the country to suffer great tensions, to the point that the deputy and leader of the opposition Georgian Citizens Party, Aleko Elisashvili, punched the leader of the government Georgian Dream party, Mamuka, in the face this Monday. Mdinaradze, during a speech before the Parliament committee debating the draft law on foreign agents, so the meeting has been suspended immediately.
Tension has been increasing as the deputies addressed the measure while thousands of people gathered around the Parliament headquarters in protest against a project that they consider typical of Russia and that, according to critical voices, will reduce freedom. of expression and fundamental rights of the Georgian population.
This project will force all organizations, media outlets and similar entities that receive at least 20 percent of their financing from abroad to register as “agents of foreign influence”, a measure similar to those in force in Russia.
The text of the bill is now the same as in 2023, although with some modifications. However, last year the opposition and part of society demonstrated against this legislative proposal, understanding it as a show of sympathy with Russia. The Government, for its part, rejected these accusations and defended that the proposal would simply serve to have a list of organizations financed from abroad.
