Georgia’s parliament formally revokes ‘foreign influence’ bill that sparked major protests | CNN

CNN
 — 

Georgia’s parliament on Friday formally revoked a “foreign influence” bill that sparked major protests this week and an international outcry, according to the country’s public broadcaster First Channel.

Friday’s announcement came a day after the country’s ruling party announced it would scrap the proposed legislation, hours after tens of thousands of people rallied outside the Georgian parliament for a second night of protests. Senior officials in the US and the European Union also expressed concern over the bill.

The controversial legislation would have required organizations receiving 20% or more of their annual income from abroad to register as “foreign agents” or face heavy fines – a proposal that rights experts warned would pose a chilling effect to civil society in the country and damage its democracy.

This is a breaking news story. More details to follow.