British visas suspended in Tbilisi due to protests and police cordons
Kyiv • UNN
The British Embassy in Georgia has temporarily closed its visa center in Tbilisi due to protests outside the parliament building over the controversial law on "foreign influence.
The British Embassy in Georgia has temporarily closed its visa center in Tbilisi due to protests, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.
"The British visa application center in Tbilisi, located near the parliament, was closed this morning due to a rally and police cordons. All those who had an appointment have been contacted," the embassy said in a Facebook post.
The center will resume work "when it becomes possible to receive visitors," the diplomatic mission added.
The British Visa Center is located at 4 Besiki Street, approximately three kilometers from the Georgian Parliament.
Context
On May 1, the Parliament of Georgia voted in favor of the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in the second reading.
In the evening of that day, thousands of people gathered near the Georgian parliament, demanding the withdrawal of the law, which was popularly nicknamed "Russian". According to local media reports, riot police used water cannons and tear gas against demonstrators at the building's official entrances. There were also reports of the use of rubber bullets.
A total of 15 people were hospitalized in Georgia during the dispersal of a rally near the parliament in Tbilisi on May 1-2, including law enforcement officers.
Recall
More than 30 MEPs called on European Commission Vice-President and EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell to suspend Georgia's EU candidate status.
