2023 Georgian protests

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2023-2024 Georgian protests
Protesters in Tbilisi on 8 March
Date6 March 2023 - 10 March 2023 first round
15 April 2024 - present (1 week and 5 days) second round
Location
Georgia
Caused byProposed Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence
GoalsStopping the enactment of the proposed bill
StatusOngoing
Parties
Lead figures
Casualties and losses
Unspecified
Some were injured
135 protesters arrested[2]
58 officers injured;[3] "several hospitalized"[4]

The 2023-2024 Georgian protests are a series of street demonstrations taking place throughout Georgia over parliamentary backing of a proposed "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence", which requires NGOs to register as "agents of foreign influence" or "organizations carrying the interests of a foreign power" if the funds they receive from abroad amount to more than 20% of their total revenue.[6][7] Police have been reported as using water cannons and tear gas to disperse the protests, especially in the capital Tbilisi.[8][9]

Background[edit]

See also: Georgia–European Union relations and People's Power (Georgia)

As of January 2021, Georgia and Ukraine were preparing to formally apply for EU membership in 2024 to join the European Union in the 2030s.[10][11][12] However, amid the 2022 escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova jointly applied for EU membership in February and March 2022.[13][14]

On 9 June 2022, the European Parliament issued a six-page resolution accusing the government of Georgia of eroding press freedom in the country. It also recommended the European Union to sanction the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili for "his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia."[15]

On 23 June 2022, the European Council granted Ukraine and Moldova the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union.[16] However, it deferred giving candidate status to Georgia until certain conditions were met.[17] The European Council expressed readiness to grant Georgia the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union after a set of recommended reforms.[16]

On 28 June 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe published a declaration, in which they have said that the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili had to be treated immediately in a special institution abroad.[18] Saakashvili, who left Georgia in 2013 and was condemned by the Tbilisi City Court to six years in prison in absentia for abuse of power, embezzlement, and his implication in the attempted murder of an opposition MP,[19] announced his return to Georgia on 1 October 2021, on the eve of the local elections.[20] He was later arrested in Tbilisi.[21] According to the investigation, Saakashvili entered the country secretly, hiding in a semi-trailer truck loaded with milk products. He illegally crossed the state border of Georgia, bypassing the customs control.[22] He was placed in Rustavi prison and announced a hunger strike to protest his arrest. His personal doctor asked authorities to move him to a hospital as he continued with his hunger strike as his health condition had allegedly worsened since the arrest.

On 14 December 2022, the European Parliament again called the European Council to sanction Ivanishvili, accusing him of deteriorating the democratic political process in Georgia, while calling the Georgian government to release Saakashvili on medical grounds to be treated abroad.[23]

On 14 February 2023, the European Parliament adopted a third non-binding resolution, accusing the Georgian government and Bidzina Ivanishvili of mistreating Mikheil Saakashvili in prison, once again calling for his release from prison and personal sanctions on Ivanishvili.[24]

The Georgian Dream party criticized the resolutions. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili called the resolutions "irresponsible and offensive towards our people".[25][26] Georgian Dream parliamentarian Dimitri Khundadze questioned Georgia's policy of EU membership, saying, "We won't give up our dignity to get [candidate] status! [...] No one will intimidate Bidzina Ivanishvili or the Georgian state with threats of sanctions!".[27][28][29]

In June-July 2022, following the EU's refusal to grant Georgia the candidate status, a series of protests was organized by a group of Western-funded NGOs, who blamed the Georgian government for the failure to receive the status and demanded it to handle its power to an "interim technical government" composed of NGO activists, threatening more protests.[30] On June 24, secret video recordings were released involving several NGO leaders discussing the violent overthrow of government.[31]

On 2 August 2022, Georgian MPs Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze left the ruling Georgian Dream and established the People's Power movement. According to the MPs, their goal was to speak up and expose the truth "hidden behind the scenes of Georgian politics".[32][33] Members of People's Power published a number of public letters accusing the United States and European Union of trying to overthrow the Georgian government. The movement has notably criticized the United States foreign policy in Georgia. Its members have questioned US funding for Georgia, saying that it only served to strengthen American interests in Georgia at the expense of Georgia's state institutions and sovereignty.[34] The People's Power movement has accused the United States and European Union of interfering in the country's internal affairs and undermining the Georgian judiciary.[35] Judicial reforms were among the 12 requests made by the European Union for Georgia to get the EU candidate status, although according to People's Power, the proposal was aimed at "subjugating the Georgian judiciary to foreign control".[36] The movement has accused a number of Georgian political parties (including the largest opposition party United National Movement, led by Mikheil Saakashvili) and NGOs of being "American agents".[37] According to the People's Power movement, Saakashvili illegally returned to Georgia to stage a coup, and was supported in his endeavor by the United States and MEPs. The members of People's Power further elaborated that the United States Embassy in Georgia was working to drag the country into the Russo-Ukrainian War, and that the Georgian government and Ivanishvili were punished by the European Parliament for the peaceful policy and refusal to open a "second front" against Russia in Georgia. The Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov had called Georgia to start a war against Russia by saying that Georgia would have "greatly aided" Ukraine by opening a "second front" against Russia.[38]

Georgian Dream disapproved of this criticism of the US involvement in Georgia, with Irakli Garibashvili saying that the United States and European Union are Georgia's "strategic partners".[39] Meanwhile six other deputies joined the movement from the Georgian Dream, depriving it of its parliamentary majority.[40] At the same time, the nine members of the People's Power movement in parliament decided to remain in the ruling majority, supporting the government of Irakli Garibashvili. The Georgian Dream chairperson Irakli Kobakhidze pledged to cooperate with People's Power on key issues.[41][42][43]

On 29 December, the People's Power movement has expressed its intention to draft a foreign agent law to curb the foreign influence in the country. On 15 February 2023, the draft "Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence" was submitted to Georgian Parliament.[44]

The bills[edit]

Under the bill, non-commercial legal entities (the most common form of NGO in Georgia), broadcasters, legal entities that alone or jointly own a print media outlet operating in Georgia, and legal entities that own or use, jointly or with others, an internet domain and/or internet hosting intended for the dissemination of information through the internet in the Georgian language, must register in public registry as "agents of foreign influence" and be subjected to the monitoring of the Ministry of Justice, if they receive more than 20% of their annual income from "a foreign power". The draft law requires NGOs to disclose the source of their funds but does not imposes any restriction on their activities.[45] The Georgian Dream supported the bill, saying that it would promote the financial transparency of foreign-funded NGOs.[46]

Spokesman for the United States Department of State Ned Price criticized the bill and likened it to Hungarian and Russian foreign agent laws. Civil society organizations objected to the bill as a violation of fundamental human rights such as freedom of press.[47] In response, the People's Power movement said that the bill was based on the "American model". Georgian Dream leader Irakli Kobakhidze criticized both the US and Russian laws. He said that the Georgian draft law was based on the US law but it was significantly softened to meet the standards of the European Court of Human Rights, adding that if the US law was transferred to the European space, it would be in conflict with the European human rights standards. Critics said that the bill represented an authoritarian shift and could have hurt Georgia's hopes of European Union membership.[48] The US Embassy in Georgia said that the bill was Kremlin-inspired and was incompatible with the people of Georgia's clear desire for European integration and democratic development. The statement said that the law would have damaged Georgia's relations with its strategic partners.[49] European Union foreign policy head Josep Borrell said that the draft law was a "very bad development" for the Georgia and its people. He said that the bill risked having a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations. Borrell stated that the bill could have seriously affected Georgian ties with the EU, and called for Georgia to uphold its commitment to the promotion of democracy.[50] The US and the European Union stated that it would be hard for Georgia to join NATO or the European Union if the bill became law. International organizations voiced concerns over the bill, saying that the bill would have worked against Georgia's democratic development.[9]

Irakli Kobakhidze said that the Parliament would send the bill to the Venice Commission for recommendations and to prove that it is compatible with European standards.[51]

Responding to criticism that the draft law was based on Russian rather than American legislation, People's Power additionally registered the alternative bill, which is direct translation of the US law.[52] The second of the two bills includes the scope of the first bill to include individuals and extends penalties to include up to five years' imprisonment.[45]

More than 60 civil society organisations and media outlets have said they will not comply with the bill if it is signed into law.[48]

2023 protests and events[edit]

On 6 March 2023, a fight broke out between parliamentary deputies of the ruling coalition and the opposition during the Legal Affairs Committee hearing on the draft laws. Deputies from the National Movement and Strategy Aghmashenebeli opposition parties were expelled from the chamber to restore the order. The protests were held in front of the Parliament building calling the deputies to vote down the bills.[53]

On 7 March 2023, the parliament adopted a proposed "Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in the first reading, with 76 votes to 13.[54] The protests were organized in front of the Parliament of Georgia, which later turned violent as the protesters tried to storm the building and threw molotov cocktails at law enforcement.[55] Police officers responded by using tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters and restore the order.[9][56]

On 8 March 2023, tens of thousands of people protested in front of the parliament building, calling the parliament to suspend further discussions on the foreign agents law.[57] Strategy Aghmashenebeli leader Giorgi Vashadze presented an ultimatum to parliament: reject the bills and release everyone who was detained on March 7.[30]

On 9 March 2023, the ruling coalition announced that they would retract the bills. They said that more discussions with the public were required to convince the society of the importance of the legislation.[58][59]

The Interior Ministry announced later that day that all persons arrested on administrative charges on 7 and 8 March have been released.[60]

On 10 March 2023, one of the two bills was withdrawn by the ruling coalition, while the other was defeated in a formal second sitting vote in Parliament, with one vote in favour, 36 votes against, and 76 abstentions.[52][45]

2023 reactions[edit]

Government of Georgia[edit]

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, threw her support behind the protesters, saying "the path of European integration must be protected". She has said she would veto and repeal the bill.[54][61][48]

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on 7 March reaffirmed his support for the law, saying the proposed provisions on foreign agents met "European and global standards".[62]

On March 7, Georgia's Interior Ministry asked protesters to disperse, warning that "legal measures" would be taken to restore calm. The ministry reportedly said the protest went beyond the framework of a peaceful assembly and turned into violence. The ministry also said that police were also forced to use proportional force to restore public order.[54]

United States[edit]

Ned Price supported the protests and said that "the United States has tools to hold accountable those who contradict the will of Georgian people", hinting at potential sanctions on Georgian officials, in a question time on 7 March.[63] Assistant Secretary of State Todd Robinson, former ambassador to Venezuela, heavily criticized the legislation from Tbilisi, where he arrived 1 day before the protests erupted for a "women in policing" event, calling it "a law based on Russia's interest, not Georgia's interest".[64]

Russia[edit]

Maria Zakharova criticized the European Union's position regarding situation in Georgia and accused Josep Borrell of "crossing the limits of decency" and "putting pressure on Georgian citizens".[65]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov compared the situation in Georgia to the Euromaidan in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation warned Georgians on consequences of such developments.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russia had nothing to do with the bill and that it was more similar to Foreign Agents Registration Act of USA. He also added that Russia was monitoring situation and that it was interested that the situation remained peaceful near its border.

The Russian Ministry of Economic Development recommended Russian citizens to refrain from travelling to Georgia.[66]

Margarita Simonyan said that Russia would immediately bomb Tbilisi if Georgia was to open "second front" against Russia.

Abkhazia[edit]

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Abkhazia, Inal Ardzinba, stated that the United States was trying to carry out a coup in Georgia to destabilize the region and launch a "second front" of the Russo-Ukrainian War in the South Caucasus.[65]

Ukraine[edit]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had stated the Georgian people and the protests that took place as a sign of "victory for democracy". As well as a statement on how the Ukrainian people hoped for success in Georgia when it occurred on March 7, just when the protests had started.

2024 protests and events[edit]

On 3 April 2024, The Georgian Dream (GD) party announced plans to bring back the bill, with a term "foreign agent" replaced with "organization carrying the interests of a foreign power".[67][68][69][7] The leader of parliamentary majority Mamuka Mdinaradze said that the reason for reintroduction of the bill was the continued circulation of slush funds, he also said that the bill would target all foreign sources, including Russian.[70]

More than 400 NGOs issued a joint statement against the bill.[71] On 5 April, seven opposition parties – Ahali, Girchi — More Freedom, Droa, United National Movement, Lelo for Georgia, and Strategy Aghmashenebeli – said they would coordinate parliamentary opposition to the bill.[72] NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Union Spokesperson for External Affairs Peter Stano, German Foreign Office Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer and others voiced their opposition to the bill.[73][74][75]

On 8 April, the Bureau of Parliament of Georgia registered the bill for the parliamentary discussions.[76]

The United States State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said to "stay tuned" for possible sanctions against the Georgian MPs if they would pass the law.[77]

The United States ambassador stated that Georgia "does not need this law".[78]

President Salome Zurabishvili again announced her opposition to the bill. She said she would veto the bill and pardoned Lazare Grigoriadis, an activist who had been imprisoned last year for throwing Molotov cocktail at the police officers during the protests.[79][80]

Georgia's prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze slammed the "foreign diktat" and challenged foreign ambassadors for TV debate. He said that the ambassadors "are trying to assume the functions of the legislator, participate in the legislative process and dictate to the supreme body of the representative democracy which laws it should pass or not".[81]

On 15 April 2024, the protests began in front of the Parliament against the bill in the morning. During the discussion of the bill at the Legal Affairs Committee, the opposition MP from Citizens party, Aleko Elisashvili, physically assaulted MP Mdinaradze.[82][83] The protesters demanded the Committee not to approve the bill. The Interior Ministry urged the protesters not to exceed the boundaries of the freedom of speech established by the law.[84] The police and the protesters clashed near the Parliament building, which led to the 14 protesters being arrested.[85][86]

The bill was approved by the Committee and handed for the discussions to the Parliament.[87] On 16 April 2024, the Parliament voted 78 to 25 on a draft bill.[88] The protesters thew blunt objects at the police, with four police officers being injured. The police used the pepper spray to prevent physical confrontation.[89][90]

On April 17th, approximately 20,000 protesters went on the streets of Tbilisi and blocked roads in front of the Georgian Parliament Building there were also 100's of riot police in the area to make arrests.[91] The police reportedly found cold weapons on one of the protesters they arrested.[92][93] Georgia's prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze gave a press conference where he denounced the protesters as forces that "undermine Georgia’s peace and stability."[94] He also stated that CSOs attempted to “organize a revolution” from 2020 to 2022, "attack and discredit the Georgian Orthodox Church" spread "LGBT propaganda" and initiate direct armed conflict with Russia as a "second front" in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[94] Kobakhidze stated that the bill was necessary to prevent the war propaganda in the country, saying that the NGOs joined the Ukrainian officials in calling Georgia to start a war against Russia.[95] He also denounced President Zurabishvili as an "agent of the Global Party of War" that was trying to "Ukrainize" Georgia.[94] He also denounced German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for their criticism of the bill as "unfounded".[94]

On April 18th, Speaker of Georgian parliament Shalva Papuashvili said that the NGOs funded by Denmark and the Netherlands have given the Georgian parliament an ultimatum, urging the embassies of Denmark and the Netherlands to clarify their positions, saying "I believe these embassies should state their position regarding the purpose of financing this NGO. Is it presenting ultimatums to the representative body of the Georgian people, dictating which laws to adopt and which not to?". He also said that such ultimatums were potentially inciting violence and threatening to turn peaceful protests into violent ones.[96]

The protesters have verbally and physically assaulted film crews of pro-government TV Imedi and POSTV.[97]

On April 19th, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that at least four journalists where targeted and assulted by the Georgian Police at the protests.[98]

On April 20th, Irakli Garibashvili announced that in reference to Georgia's application to join the EU, that "we are not ready to become a member country" because there was no consensus in the European Union about enlargement, and added that Georgia would easily retract or annul the bill if the European Union told Georgia that "tomorrow we will become a member of the EU".[99][100] That same day, EU diplomat Josep Borrell stated that the foreign agents bill, as well as the GD's proposed anti-LGBTQ efforts “would negatively impact Georgia’s progress on its EU path.”[99] That same day protesters made an oath at the memorial of the fallen soldiers at Heroes Square "to protect Georgia and its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity."[101]

On April 21th, the protesters have gathered in front of the Parliament building and blocked the Rustaveli Avenue, demanding the Parliament to retract the proposed bill.[102]

On April 22th, the Georgian Dream party announced the rally in support of the bill to be held on 29th April.[103]

On April 23th, the debate was held in the European Parliament regarding the proposed legislation in Georgia. MEP Miriam Lexmann said that the bill would undermine the "the work of civil society and independent media", calling the European Council to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling party. She said that the European Union should "freeze the opening of any accession negotiations with Georgia" and make financial assistance to Georgia conditional on scrapping the legislation.[104] MEP Mick Wallace instead condemned the EU and the US for using "our money" for setting up "parallel publics in non-EU countries like Georgia", saying that NGOs cared not about democracy but "about money", adding that "unelected NGO representatives" served their "the strategic aims of the foreign paymasters".[105]

On April 24th, Georgian Orthodox Church Archbishop Zenon Iarajuli of the Dmanisi and Agarak-Tashiri Eparchy denounced the bill, stating it would classify the Church as a "foreign agent" and that the "bill threatens to stigmatize individuals and organizations" calling it not only non-Christian, but also "a violation of the Constitution."[106] That day the Georgian Parliament also held a debate on the bill where various GD MPs stated that not passing the bill would destroy Georgian identity and statehood while the opposition called it a Russophilic plot by Bidzina Ivanishvili.[107] By this point, voices within the opposition movement have suggested an armed struggle against the GD, which U.S. State Department spokesmen Vedant Patel denounced, calling for the protests to remain peaceful.[108]

On April 25th, in response to an EU resolution that condemed the foreign agents bill stating that if it where to be passed it would make Georgia ineligible for EU membership, Shalva Papuashvili, the GD speaker of parliament called the resolution a "scrap of paper" that has "no value for our country."[109] Mamuka Mdinaradze, the GD majority leader called the resolution "another hoax and plain blackmail" and as "absolutely immoral and categorically unacceptable."[109] Kakha Kaladze, the GD Secretary General called the resolution "trash" and "shameful" with the sole purpose "to agitate people, confuse our society, and incite the spark of protest."[109] Meanwhile, Giorgi Vashadze, MP for Strategy Aghmashenebeli stated that the resolution made it clear that the GD "chose a path which is not the choice of the Georgian people, that you went against the will of the citizens of Georgia."[109] Levan Khabeishvili, Chairman of the UNM called for all Georgians to "engage in combat against the Russian law, against this government."[109] Mamuka Khazaradze, MP for Lelo for Georgia called for "Mobilization of all forces" to defeat the bill.[109] Later that night over 100 CSOs adopted resolutions stating that even if the bill were to pass they would refuse to cooperate with the government, refuse to join a registry, and refuse to report information to the government.[110]

On April 26th, a member of the Telavi City Council for GD, Levan Berdzenashvili, spoke out against the foreign agents law stating that if the law is passed Georgia will "lose everything that has to do with Europe" and called on fellow members of the party to "vote their conscience" and defeat the bill in parliament.[111] That same day Tbilisi City Court Judge Koba Chagunava ordered members of the opposition who where protesting against the bill to pay a hefty fine for "disobedience to the lawful request of a police officer" and "petty hooliganism."[112] One of the activists in question was Irakli Kupradze, one of the co-leaders of Lelo – For Georgia, who was beaten during their arrest, and despite his beating being filmed by several media outlets as he showed no sign of resisting the sole evidence the judge cited was the testimony of the police officer.[112] Additonally, faculty at the Tbilisi State University obstructed a discussion on the law being hosted by students, by locking all available auditoriums and claiming they where in use, when they were not.[113]

On April 27th, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II of Georgia issued a statement endorsing the GD anti-LGBT policies, criticizing the part of the EU-resolution condemning them, but stopped short of endorsing the foreign against bill.[114]

2024 reactions[edit]

On April 25th, the European Parliament issued a resolution with 425 votes in favor, 25 against, and 30 abstentions, condemning the Georgian foreign agents bill and freezing all Georgian ascension talks until the bill is dropped.[109] The resolution also stated that the bill is in direct opposition to the Copenhagen criteria, and if it were to pass Georgia would fundamentally be ineligible for EU membership.[115]

On April 26th, Deputy Spokesperson of US State Departament Vedant Patel said that the State Departament found Georgian Transparency bill to be "incredibly troubling".[116]

On April 27th, Lithuanian President said that the bill would "distance country from European ideals" and that the European Union "should react on this".[117]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

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Further reading[edit]

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