May 10 2024 42 mins 9
Protesters in Georgia have for weeks rallied against a controversial "foreign influence" bill that critics say resembles legislation in Russia used to crack down on independent media and the opposition. Introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party, the draft law would force organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as entities "pursuing the interests of a foreign power." The bill's third and final reading is expected on May 13.
In this episode, we spoke with Bidzina Lebanidze, Senior Analyst at the Georgian Institute of Politics, about why the ruling party is trying to pass the "foreign influence" bill and what negative consequences they might face if it is adopted. We also sat down with journalist Marta Ardashelia to talk about the ongoing protests against the draft law in Tbilisi.
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