By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TBILISI/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The smoke cleared Wednesday in the streets of Georgia’s capital after dozens of people were detained while an opposition leader was seen bandaged and bruised, as security forces cracked down on the latest protest outside Parliament against a bill that demonstrators say threatens press freedom.
Police in Tbilisi used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, according to witnesses and reporters.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry said at least 63 people were arrested in the demonstration against the law that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of funding from abroad.
Protesters denounce it as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses similar legislation to what critics view as stigmatizing independent media and organizations critical of the Kremlin.
Protesters say the bill would derail Georgia’s integration with the European Union, a long-time wish in this republic, which was once part of the Russia-led Soviet Union, which collapsed in the 1990s after more than seven decades of communist rule.
Georgia was granted its EU candidate status in December, but recent developments in Georgia have worried EU leaders.
The ruling party proposed a similar media law last year but withdrew it after tens of thousands of demonstrators protested.
RUSSIA-GEORGIA RELATIONS
Russia-Georgia relations have been complicated and turbulent since the Soviet Union’s collapse.
That became clear in 2008 when a Worthy News reporter witnessed the Russo-Georgian War, seen as the first European war of the 21st century.
The conflict broke out between Russia, alongside the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and Georgia.
The war occurred in August 2008, following a diplomatic crisis between Russia and Georgia, both formerly constituent republics of the Soviet Union.
The fighting took place in the strategically vital South Caucasus region and ended in a stalemate
Some 14 years later, Georgia joined international resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it also became a primary destination for Russians fleeing military mobilization and political crackdowns.
Even Georgia’s ruling party has seen internal tensions over Russia.
LEADER INJURED
On Wednesday, Georgian television showed Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the pro-West United National Movement party, arriving in Parliament with bandages on his nose and forehead. Members of Khabeishvili’s party said police had assaulted him during the protests.
Purple bruising and cuts were visible around Khabeishvili’s left eye as he urged fellow lawmakers to scrap the bill.
“If you are not interested in how the leader of the main opposition party has been beaten up, then — for the sake of those young people who were injured, who were hit on the heads and bruised — I want to ask you once more, even though I do not have any hope, withdraw this law,” he said.
Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze alleged at a briefing that Khabeishvili broke through a police cordon the night before and was injured while he “resisted.” Darakhvelidze denied wrongdoing, saying protesters and opposition leaders were “constantly committing violence.”
Police broke up Tuesday’s protest after demonstrators tried to block entrances to Parliament, witnesses observed.
Earlier last month, parliament endorsed the bill on its first reading. The debate continued Wednesday during the second of three required readings before adoption.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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