Georgian lawmakers came to blows in parliament on Monday as ruling party legislators looked set to advance a controversial bill on “foreign agents” that has been criticized by Western countries.
Footage broadcast on Georgian television showed Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s parliamentary faction and a driving force behind the bill, being punched in the face by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili while speaking from the dispatch box.
Georgian Dream said earlier this month it would reintroduce legislation requiring organizations that accept funds from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines, 13 months after protests forced it to shelve the plan.
The incident prompted a wider brawl between several lawmakers, an occasional occurrence in Georgia’s often raucous parliament.Live Georgian Parliament gameplay ladies and gentlemen #Georgia #parliament#georgianparliament#RussianLaw pic.twitter.com/FXHxnXMAbH
— Grand Admiral Thrawn 🇬🇪 🇺🇦 🇮🇱 🇪🇺 (@Grandad59382174) April 15, 2024
Georgian Dream said earlier this month it would reintroduce legislation requiring organizations that accept funds from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines, 13 months after protests forced it to shelve the plan.
The bill has been criticized by European countries and the United States. The European Union, which gave Georgia candidate status in December, has said the move is incompatible with the bloc’s values.
Georgian critics have labeled it “the Russian law”, comparing it to similar legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent in Russia.
Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the parliament building ahead of a mass protest that civil society organizations have called for Monday evening.
Russia is widely unpopular in Georgia, due to Moscow’s support for the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia defeated Georgia in a short war in 2008.
Georgian Dream, which says it wants the country to join the EU and NATO even as it has deepened ties with Moscow, says the bill is necessary to combat what it calls “pseudo-liberal values” imposed by foreigners and to promote transparency.
Once approved by members of the legislature’s legal affairs committee, which is controlled by Georgian Dream and its allies, the foreign agent bill can proceed to a first reading in parliament.
Georgian critics have labeled it “the Russian law”, comparing it to similar legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent in Russia.
Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside the parliament building ahead of a mass protest that civil society organizations have called for Monday evening.
Russia is widely unpopular in Georgia, due to Moscow’s support for the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia defeated Georgia in a short war in 2008.
Georgian Dream, which says it wants the country to join the EU and NATO even as it has deepened ties with Moscow, says the bill is necessary to combat what it calls “pseudo-liberal values” imposed by foreigners and to promote transparency.
Once approved by members of the legislature’s legal affairs committee, which is controlled by Georgian Dream and its allies, the foreign agent bill can proceed to a first reading in parliament.
Source: Reuters
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