Thousands protest in Georgia against ‘Russia-style’ law on foreign influence

A demonstrator holds a Georgian national flag as he walks in front of the parliament building during an opposition protest against ‘the Russian law’ in the centre of Tbilisi, Georgia (Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP)

Georgia’s parliament has given the green light for a final vote on a proposed law that critics see as a threat to media freedom and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union, a day after police dispersed the latest protests against it.

The Bill would require media and non-governmental organisations and other non-profits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.