Police arrest 66 at rally in Tbilisi protesting foreign agents bill

The Georgian law enforcement officers on Tuesday arrested 66 in central Tbilisi for petty hooliganism and disobedience to police during the rally protesting the adoption of a controversial foreign agents bill with its first reading, the ministry confirmed on Wednesday. 

The body said “legal response will be made” to all individuals who “facilitated and organized the development of a peaceful protest into a violent action”. 

The international community has strongly condemned the adoption of the bill with its first reading with the support of 76 MPs in the 150-member state legislature. 

The EU has called the process a “bad development for Georgia and its people” and stressed the bill proposed by former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party who still remain in the parliamentary majority “in its current form risks having a chilling effect on civil society and media organizations, with negative consequences for the many Georgians benefiting from their work”.