TBILISI, March 9. /TASS/. All protesters detained during March 7 and 8 protests in Tbilisi for administrative offences have been released, the Ministry of the Interior of Georgia announced Thursday.
"All people detained by various police units in accordance with the Administrative Code during March 7 and 8 protests on the territory adjacent to the parliament have been released. Some detainees faced the court, while the rest were released once their detention term expired in accordance with the law," the Ministry said.
The Ministry notes that it continues identification of people that must be subjected to criminal penalty for violence against policemen in order to detain said people.
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on March 7-8 after lawmakers had passed the first reading of the Georgian version of a foreign agent bill. On March 9, the ruling party decided to withdraw the bill from parliament.
In February, the Georgian parliament registered two versions of the foreign agents bill, namely a Georgian iteration and an American one, the latter being a translation of the US Foreign Agents Registration Act. Under the Georgian version, a foreign agent is defined as a legal entity, including a media outlet that receives more than 20% of its financing from foreign sources. The bill would not apply to individuals, whereas the US version applies to both legal entities and individuals, and stipulates criminal liability.
The initiative to enshrine the concept of foreign agents in law has given rise to serious criticism by both Georgia’s opposition and Western politicians. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili promised to veto the bill if it is passed. The leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream Party, contend that the law is needed to ensure the transparency of entities financed from abroad.