Georgian parliament approves divisive ‘foreign influence’ bill that sparked weeks of mass protests

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — The Georgian parliament has approved in the third and final reading a divisive bill that sparked weeks of mass protests. The bill requires media and nongovernmental organizations and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Critics see it as a threat to democratic freedoms and the country’s aspirations to join the European Union. The bill approved on Tuesday is nearly identical to one that the governing Georgian Dream party was pressured to withdraw last year after street protests. Renewed demonstrations have rocked Georgia for weeks, but the lawmakers passed it regardless.