Georgian president accuses authorities of pursuing ‘Russian strategy of destabilization’

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Tuesday accused her country’s authorities, which commenced deliberations on a bill concerning "foreign agents" earlier in the day, of pursuing a “Russian strategy of destabilization.”

“Second night of massive protest in Tbilisi against the Russian Law. Insistence of the authorities to push through this law against the will of the population and despite partners protest is a direct provocation - a Russian strategy of destabilization,” Zourabichvili said on X.

Protesters took to the Georgian parliament for the second day in a row to hold a demonstration against the bill on “foreign agents,” the first reading of which began after the parliament’s legal affairs committee endorsed debates on the bill on Monday.

Since then, 25 people have been detained by law enforcement, four of which have been released, according to statements by the Georgian Interior Ministry.

The bill was previously voted down by lawmakers on March 10 last year after it triggered mass protests in the capital Tbilisi, resulting in the arrest of 66 people and the injury of more than 50 law enforcement officers.

Earlier this month, Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the country's parliamentary majority, announced that they decided to resubmit the draft legislation on the "transparency of foreign influence" to parliament after consultations within the ruling Georgian Dream party.

He said the draft would be reviewed using the same text as the previous bill, but that it would differ by its use of the milder term "organization pursuing the interests of a foreign power" rather than "agent of foreign influence."

Critics said the bill, if passed, would undermine democracy and have labeled it as a "Russian law," while members of the ruling majority said it would boost transparency.