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May 2024
44m 59s

The Weekend Intelligence: Georgia... the...

The Economist
About this episode

The introduction of a’ foreign agent law’ has become a popular tactic among those with autocratic tendencies. Activists in Georgia, who oppose the introduction of such a law, refer to theirs as “the Russian law”. They see it as moving their country closer to Putin, and away from the West.


Last week, as Georgia’s parliament prepared to vote on the law, Heidi Pett travelled to Tbilisi, the capital, to meet opposition leaders and find out why they are so afraid. What she discovered was a group being beaten, bruised, and left worried for their personal freedom—wondering, once the dust settles, what the day after tomorrow will bring.


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