(Geneva) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Thursday called for the “withdrawal” of the bill on “foreign influence” currently being considered in the Georgian Parliament and expressed his concern about the “disproportionate” use of force against those who oppose it.
“I urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw this bill and to initiate a dialogue, in particular with civil society and the media,” said Volker Türk, in a press release, believing that “qualifying NGOs and media benefiting from funding “organizations acting in the interests of a foreign power” constitute a serious threat to the rights to freedom of expression and association.”
“I am concerned by reports of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force by law enforcement against protesters and media workers in Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, this week,” Türk said. .
Since April 9, tens of thousands of demonstrators have been protesting against the controversial bill on “foreign influence”, adopted at second reading by Parliament despite the massive mobilization of its detractors.
The ruling Georgian Dream party reintroduced the bill, seen as an obstacle to Tbilisi’s aspirations to join the European Union.
The deputies voted on Wednesday 83 for and 23 against this text which the Georgian Dream intends to adopt definitively by mid-May, despite three weeks of mobilization in the streets by its opponents.
The text – severely criticized by the European Union or the United States – must still pass a third reading and President Salomé Zourabichvili, in conflict with the ruling party, is expected to veto it. The Georgian Dream, however, has enough votes to be able to override it.
“I call on the authorities to carry out rapid and transparent investigations into all allegations of ill-treatment during or after the demonstrations or in detention,” insists Mr. Türk.
He calls for the release of people arrested “arbitrarily” and also calls on demonstrators “to exercise their rights peacefully and without resort to violence”.