A “Freedom March” against Russian law took place in the Georgian capital

In the center of Tbilisi, about ten thousand people took part in a demonstration on Tuesday against the plans of the country’s ruling Georgian Dream party (GD) to adopt a law on the transparency of foreign influence, which representatives of non-governmental organizations and opposition parties call the “Russian law”.

Opponents of the measure note that a similar law on foreign agents passed several years ago in Russia ultimately led to repression, restrictions on media freedom and stigmatization of representatives of civil society.

Member of the Georgian Parliament, former head of the National Police of Ukraine Khatia Dekanoidze said that the Georgian Dream government, despite the pro-Western rhetoric, “has the same plans to establish an anti-democratic regime.”

The “Freedom March” began on Republic Square. Thousands of civil activists and oppositionists marched along Rustaveli Avenue following a poster with the main slogan: “Yes to Europe! No to Russian law!”

The march ended at the parliament building, at the same place where a turning point in Georgia’s modern history took place on April 9, 1989: more than twenty people died during clashes between independence supporters and Soviet troops deployed to Tbilisi to suppress protests.

The organizers of the current march did not hide the fact that they decided to hold it precisely on the next anniversary of the tragic events in order to “emphasize the continuity of the struggle for a free and democratic future of Georgia.” Former ombudsman Nino Lomjaria made this statement in an interview with journalists during the protest.

The Freedom March ended with the performance of the Georgian national anthem, as well as the EU anthem.

The country’s authorities claim that the law, registered for consideration in parliament, “serves only to ensure transparency of external financing of non-governmental organizations.” At a government meeting, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused NGOs of “concealing sources of funding and goals of their activities.” And the executive secretary of the GM warned that if, due to the adoption of the law, the West imposes sanctions against the Georgian authorities, then “this will be a huge injustice, since similar laws are in force in the United States and many Western countries.”

Soviet-era dissident Levan Berdzenishvili, who founded the Republican Party of Georgia in 1979, believes that the authorities are clearly disingenuous and are preparing this law only as the first step in the process of building an autocratic regime: “This law will be followed by other laws arising from it! Exactly so.” the same way it happened in Russia,” Berdzenishvili is sure. According to him, the goal of the ruling party is to silence the media and civil society. Berdzenishvili also mentioned “an obvious order from Moscow.”

Professor of the Tbilisi Institute of Public Affairs Tornike Sharashenidze said that he could not understand the logic of the authorities: “They do not listen to the warnings and advice of Western partners, although they declare their desire to integrate into the EU and NATO.”

• Last year, Georgia was granted EU candidate status with the condition of implementing institutional reforms and strengthening democracy, including a nine-point program, one of which recommends that the authorities create favorable conditions for the free operation of civil society organizations and the media.