Detentions of protesters began in Tbilisi

The situation near the Georgian parliament building, where mass protests continue over the discussion of the bill on foreign agents, sharply escalated on Tuesday, April 16.

Security forces used tear spray to disperse the protesters, and arrests began. There are also reports of the use of special equipment to jam mobile communications. Protesters began to be detained.

According to Rustavi 2, demonstrators are throwing various objects at police. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia said that at least one law enforcement officer was injured during the rally in Tbilisi. The special forces had to push the rally participants to another street adjacent to the parliament.

Earlier, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov dismissed attempts to link the consideration of the bill on foreign agents in Georgia with Russia. The Kremlin speaker pointed to “It’s absurd to consider this a Russian project”recalling that many countries use legislative mechanisms to counter the influence of foreign agents.

Contrary to the opposition’s assertions, its development was based not on the Russian law on foreign agents, but on the American one. However, the Georgian version is much softer than both options, experts say. The very concept of “agent of foreign influence” has disappeared from the law. Instead the wording will be used “an organization that promotes the interests of a foreign power”.