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Attempts in Kyrgyzstan to pass legislation tightening control over NGOs that receive foreign funding have been made in the past. But activists say growing authoritarianism in the Central Asian state and Russia's desire to rid its ally of Western influence make success more likely this time.
Protesters in Georgia blocked the adoption of a Russian-inspired "foreign agents" law, leading to threats from the Kremlin. Writing for La Stampa, Georgia-born political scientist Nona Mikhelidze explains why the events put Moscow on edge.
As protests erupted in Georgia against the proposed "foreign agent" bill, some critics argued that the move was a part of a larger pattern of US influence and color revolutions in the region.
The bill, which was withdrawn after two days of protests, would have required organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents" or face substantial fines. Protesters in Georgia compared the proposed law to Russia s 2012 legislation, which has been used to suppress western-funded NGOs and media.
Georgia's opposition has called for new protests after dozens of activists were detained during clashes with police while demonstrating against parliament's move toward approving a controversial "foreign agent" law that has drawn sharp criticism from the West.