Georgia
Rights group urges Georgia to reject new proposal of ‘foreign agent’ bill
Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Georgian Parliament on Wednesday to reject the ‘foreign agents’ bill.
Europe and Central Asia director at HRW Hugh Williamson argued that if the bill passes, “it could spell the end of Georgia’s independent civil society”. Besides posing problems for independent civil society in Georgia, HRW believes the government is “plunging Georgia ever deeper into a human rights crisis”. Williamson said that activists and groups will have “the false choice of accepting the unfounded and stigmatizing label of foreign agent, facing prison or exile, or abandoning their work altogether”. HRW claims Georgia ought to scrap the bill to ensure respect for human rights.
The proposed ‘foreign agent’ bill introduces strict measures forcing individuals and entities to register as under the influence of a foreign principal while engaging in political activities for the interests of that foreign agent. These individuals and entities must submit annual financial declarations and mark their public statements as “coming from a foreign agent”. Sanctions amount to fines up to €8,250 ($8,886) and five years in prison.
Arguably, the bill is set to impose stricter sanctions than the controversial ‘foreign agent’ law adopted in 2024. The bill is a response to the failure of several civil society organizations to register under previous laws. These restrictions could amount to human rights violations within the European framework. For instance, possible violations of the rights to freedom of expression and association protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The ‘foreign agent’ law was already criticized both by the Council of Europe and the UN for violating human rights.
As the new ‘foreign agent’ bill awaits approval, the Georgian Parliament has introduced more restricting legislative amendments. HRW argues these amendments are set to oppress peaceful protesters. In 2024, following the ‘foreign agent’ law’s adoption, human rights groups condemned the use of force and harsh sanctions against protestors.
With this proposal, Georgia distances itself more from the European sphere. Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos recently mentioned that these legislative proposals demonstrate a “serious setback for Georgia’s democratic development and falls short of any expectations of an EU candidate country”. This also follows the Georgian Dream Party’s decision not to pursue the opening of EU accession in December 2024.
The proposal is set to be voted on in the Georgian Parliament during the week of March 31, 2025.
A Griffin, Georgia man is now under arrest, charged in connection with a cold case homicide investigation in New Jersey, prosecutors say.
It’s been nearly 37 years since 42-year-old Mauricio Cuadra was shot during an apparent home invasion; now, authorities say 62-year-old Joseph Quiros-Soto is charged with his murder.
Officials say on Aug. 9, 1989, the officers with the Bayonne Police Department responded to reports of a home invasion and shooting at an apartment on the 400 block of Avenue C. Inside the home, they found Cuadra suffering from a gunshot wound. Cuadra died shortly after.
The case remained a mystery until 2024, when Quiros-Soto confessed to the murder to police in Locust Grove, Georgia, saying that he had become a born-again Christian, NJ.com reports.
Police told the outlet that he gave the detectives details of the crime and allowed visiting Hudson County authorities to take a DNA sample, which matched a stain on the victim.
Authorities were eventually able to obtain a warrant for the Georgia man’s arrest. On May 27, 2026, deputies with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office arrested Quiros-Soto at his home in Griffin, charging him with murder and murder during the commission of a burglary.
Quiros-Soto is being detained in Georgia, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball has made the super regionals in the NCAA Tournament and will face a team its already played four times.
The No. 14 national seed Bulldogs (43-17) are matched up with No. 3 Georgia (49-12). The best-of-three series will take place in Athens, Georgia, because Georgia is the higher seed.
The super regionals run from June 5-8, and the winner will make the College World Series.
MSU is 0-4 against Georgia this season, getting swept at Dudy Noble Field and then losing a fourth time in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. Georgia won the SEC regular season and tournament championships.
Both teams made it through their regionals without a loss. Mississippi State blew out Louisiana 19-5 on May 31, while Georgia defeated Liberty.
MSU has played Georgia only once in postseason history, losing in the 1990 College World Series.
Mississippi State baseball history in super regionals
Mississippi State has played in 10 super regionals and won five of them. It has won three straight super regionals. MSU is 2-4 as the visiting team in super regionals.
New Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor is 7-2 in super regionals.
NCAA baseball tournament schedule
- Super regionals: June 5-8
- College World Series: June 12-22
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
Georgia football landed a pair of commitments Sunday for its 2027 recruiting class.
Wide receiver Taurean Rawlins from Mount Vernon School in Atlanta posted on his X account on May 31 that he’s pledged to the Bulldogs.
Georgia also picked up a commitment from offensive tackle DJ Dotson from Hattiesburg, Miss., he posted on his Instagram account.
Both are rated 3-star prospects.
“I loved the support and love they showed towards me and my family,” Dotson said in a text message to the Athens Banner-Herald.
The 6-foot, 175-pound Rawlins is rated the No. 58 wide receiver in the 2027 class and the No. 478 overall prospect.
Rawlins had 67 catches for 1,395 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, according to MaxPreps.
Rawlins and Dotson give Georgia 10 commitments for this cycle.
Rawlins is the first wide receiver commitment. He also had offers from Ohio State, Florida and Michigan.
Georgia signed four wide receivers in its 2026 class: Craig Dandridge, Ryan Mosley, Dallas Dickerson and late addition Tre Shields.
Rawlins’ coach at Mount Vernon is former Georgia star wide receiver Terrence Edwards.
The 6-foot-7, 330-pound Dotson is rated as the nation’s No. 85 offensive tackle prospect and the No. 851 overall prospect.
He picked Georgia over Ole Miss, LSU and Georgia Tech, according to 247Sports.
Georgia also has offensive line commitments in its 2027 class from Kelsey Adams from Langston Hughes, Abram Eisenhower from Lowndes and Ty Johnson from Mount Pleasant, S.C.
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