Georgia’s ruling coalition drops ‘foreign agent’ bill after protests News
Kober, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Georgia’s ruling coalition drops ‘foreign agent’ bill after protests

Georgia’s governing coalition Thursday agreed to withdraw a controversial ‘foreign agent’ bill after large civilian and international protests, according to an official Facebook page. The ruling Georgian Dream Party said they were in agreement with their partners in “unconditionally” withdrawing support for the bill. The post placed blame for the bill’s withdraw on the “machine of lies” that “portray[ed] the bill as negative and mislead a certain part of the public.”

The ‘On Transparency of Foreign Influence’ bill was introduced in Parliament in February. The bill required non-governmental groups and certain media outlets which receive 20 percent or more of their annual revenue from a “foreign power,” to register as “agents of foreign influence” with the Justice Ministry. The “Russia inspired” bill drew swift condemnation from Georgian President Salome Zourabichvilli. The President is an independent entity who threatened to veto the legislation if passed. In an official statement, Zourabichvilli said the bill would steal Georgia’s future. Additionally, the consequences of the bill would hinder its progress towards European integration.

The President’s sentiments were echoed in a statement by the EU. Officials said the bill would have a “chilling effect” on Georgia’s EU member candidacy ambitions. Furthermore, the EU urged Georgia to uphold its commitments to “democracy, the rule of law and human rights.”

It is unclear if another similarly styled bill will emerge in Georgia’s parliament. The People’s Power Party emphasized the need to carefully move towards full EU integration. However, Russia exerts strong influence over the country. Two sovereign regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, comprising almost 20 percent of the country’s total land area, have been occupied by Russian military forces since 2008.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.