Georgia's parliament votes to approve so-called 'Russian law' targeting media in first reading

Georgia’s parliament has voted in the first reading to approve a proposed law that would require media and non-commercial organizations to register as being under foreign influence if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Opponents say the proposal would obstruct Georgia’s long-sought prospects of joining the European Union. They denounce it as “the Russian law” because Moscow uses similar legislation to stigmatize independent news media and organizations seen as being at odds with the Kremlin. The bill is nearly identical to a proposal that the governing party was pressured to withdraw last year after large street protests.