U.S. Says Supports 'Everyone's Rights', As Tbilisi Police Clear Protesters Against "Russian Law'

The United States on Tuesday expressed its support to "everyone's right to freedom of expression and freedom of speech" as Georgia's riot police waded into protesters and cleared them from Tbilisi streets while lawmakers debated a bill on "foreign agents" that the opposition denounces as 'Russian', TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Matthew Miller, State Department's spokesperson, reiterated Washington's "deep concern" over the draft legislation when responding to TURAN's questions during a daily briefing.

"... It does still remain draft legislation," Miller went on to add.  "And the last time this draft legislation was proposed, we saw it take several steps forward but ultimately not pass into law.  And so I don’t think we’re at any point where we can make any predictions yet about what’s going to happen.  But I will just reiterate that we do remain deeply concerned about that law."

He went on to add, "With respect to protesters in Georgia or anywhere else in the world, of course, the United States supports everyone’s right everywhere in the world to freedom of expression and freedom of speech."

Asked whether he thought the initiators of the draft legislation are acting in impunity, Miller said, he wouldn't preview anything at the moment. "But I would say that is always the case where we do not preview potential sanctions or other measures that we might impose before we do so," he concluded.

Thousands of protesters massed outside Georgian parliament Tuesday evening, a larger gathering than the previous day, to denounce the bill, approved by a parliamentary committee on Monday.

President Salome Zourabichvili wrote on social media that the drive to pass the bill was a "provocation" and a "Russian strategy of destabilization."