Georgia

Georgia enacts controversial ‘foreign agent’ law despite large-scale protests

Published

2 years ago

June 3, 2024

Georgia enacts controversial ‘foreign agent’ law despite large-scale protests

Georgia enacted a controversial “foreign agent” bill on Monday despite large-scale demonstrations against the law and international opposition.

Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the law On Transparency of Foreign Influence, also known as the law on foreign agents” or the “Russian law,” which was subsequently published on the country’s Legislative Bulletin website. According to Article 46 of the Constitution of Georgia, if the president refuses to sign a law passed by parliament, the law must be signed and published by the chairman of the parliament within five days.

The draft law was first announced on February 14, 2023. It proposed the creation of an open register of foreign agents in the country, which would include media and non-profit organizations that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, with possible repercussions for non-compliance. However, the government was initially unable to continue consideration of this bill due to large-scale protests. On March 9, 2023, the Georgian parliament rejected the bill at its second reading.

However, the bill was revived in 2024, which resulted in mass protests in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. On May 2, Georgia’s parliament had to cancel a plenary session due to the demonstrations. While the parliament approved the law on May 14, four days later, President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed it because of its similarity to a controversial Russian “foreign agents” law and alleged unconstitutionality. However, on May 28, the parliament passed the law, overriding the presidential veto.

Some non-governmental organizations said on May 29 that they would not comply with the law on “foreign agents.” International human rights organizations, civil society groups and election observers have called on European leaders to halt Georgia’s EU integration because the law “threatens to provide the government with tools to suppress civil society and independent media.” The United States also condemned the Georgian parliament for overriding the presidential veto of the law.

Source link

Georgia

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

Published

10 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Man accused of raping University of Georgia student, police say

ATHENS, Ga. – A 19-year-old is facing assault-related charges after police said he raped a University of Georgia student early Saturday morning while she was walking home.

What we know:

Tydarius Wingfield of Athens allegedly approached the student in the area of 400 North Thomas Street just before 1:40 a.m. and asked to walk her home.

Wingfield and the victim did not know each other.

Wingfield then forced the woman behind a building where he sexually assaulted her, police said.

Investigators used the Real Time Crime Center’s camera system to see where the assault happened and track the victim and Wingfield’s movements. Officers continued tracking Wingfield until his arrest and positively identified him using the RTCC technology.

He is charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated sexual battery and battery.

An investigation is ongoing.

What we don’t know:

It is unclear whether the victim was taken to the hospital after being attacked.

What you can do:

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Detective Burgamy at Charles.Burgamy@accgov.com or 762-400-7173.

The Source: Information in this report comes from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

Athens-Clarke CountyUniversity of GeorgiaNewsCrime and Public Safety

Source link

Georgia

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

Published

22 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Georgia’s Iranian community reacts to death of Ayatollah Khamenei

ATLANTA – As conflict intensifies between the United States, Israel and Iran, reactions are pouring in across the Atlanta metro area after President Donald Trump confirmed the death of Iran’s supreme leader.

The president confirmed on Truth Social that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint strike led by the U.S. and Israel.

What they’re saying:

“I have been waiting to hear this news for the last 20 years,” said Dr. Sasan Tavassoli, an Atlanta-based pastor born in Iran.

“Ayatollah Khamenei has been responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of Iranians over the last three decades. He has been a very evil dictator and a very oppressive tyrant.”

Other local Iranians, like Shohreh Mir, expressed a long-standing desire for internal change rather than outside intervention.

“This was an imposed war,” Mir said. “We still very much would like for Iranian people to change the regime by themselves.”

What’s next:

Tavassoli said the Ayatollah’s death now creates a new issue.

“Ayatollah Khamenei never invested in raising a succession after himself,” he said, “so the crisis of the Iranian revolution and the Iranian regime is there is no legitimate successor.”

While the long-term duration of the conflict remains unknown, Iran has already begun launching retaliatory strikes following the attack.

“This is a huge development for day one, but the war is not over,” Tavassoli noted. “There are still many ways that things can become even more bloody and destructive in the coming days and weeks.”

The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 5’s Rey Llerena speaking with Iranian Americans across Georgia.

IranDonald J. TrumpNewsPolitics

Source link

Georgia

Body found near Georgia Power dam on Radium Springs Road in Albany

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Body found near Georgia Power dam on Radium Springs Road in Albany

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) – A person was found dead in the 5200 block of Radium Springs Road on Saturday morning, according to Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler.

Body recovered in early morning water rescue call(WALB NEWS 10)

Fowler said the call came in as a water rescue. The body was recovered early Saturday, Feb. 28.

The coroner confirmed the person found was male. His identity and age remain unknown.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Source link