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Georgia – More than 60 arrested in Tbilisi in protests against controversial foreign agents law

Story by Barbara O’Sullivan • Yesterday 12:42 PM

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At least 66 demonstrators have been detained in a series of protests registered in front of the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi against the draft law on foreign agents, as reported Wednesday by the country’s Interior Ministry, which has also counted half a hundred policemen injured so far.

File – File image of anti-government protests in Georgia. – Nicolo Vincenzo Malvestuto/SOPA / DPA© Provided by News 360

All of them, considered opponents of the Georgian government, have been charged with public disorder and disobedience to the authorities for not following the directives of the agents deployed to quell the demonstrations that took place on Tuesday in the capital.

They have been brought before the courts after the relevant administrative cases were opened, according to information from the Mtavari TV channel. In addition, the Ministry of the Interior has launched an investigation for creating disturbances and provoking ”violent incidents”, according to the Penal Code.

”The Ministry will give appropriate legal advice to those arrested for provoking a peaceful protest to turn into a violent one,” the government said in a statement in which it confirmed that 50 members of the security forces have been injured at the hands of the demonstrators, some of whom are hospitalized.

Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest a bill that seeks to create a ”blacklist” of organizations, media and entities that generally receive funding from foreign countries, a measure that many have criticized as ”Russian-style” legislation that will end up undermining the fundamental freedoms of citizens.

Source: (EUROPA PRESS)