EU High Representative “strongly condemns” violence against transparency bill protesters in Tbilisi
The protests are held against the bill that calls for registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. Photo: EEAS
Tweet 
Share
Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Wednesday “strongly condemned” violence against protesters during a rally in Tbilisi between Tuesday and Wednesday against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence.
In his social media post over the rally, which saw 63 protesters detained and 11 individuals, including six law enforcement officers and an opposition politician, injured, Borrell called on the Georgian authorities to “ensure the right to peaceful assembly” as a candidate state for EU membership.
The official added use of force to suppress the protests was “unacceptable”.
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the Deputy Interior Minister of Georgia, on Wednesday said law enforcement officers had detained the protesters for “petty hooliganism and disobedience of legal requests of police” at the rally outside the Parliament on Rustaveli Avenue.
The protests are held against the bill that calls for registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.