Uproar in Georgia at ‘foreign agents’ bill
Proposal mirrors law used by Moscow to crack down on dissent, critics warn
Thousands of Georgians protested and lawmakers came to blows as ruling party legislators gave the initial go-ahead for debate on a bill on “foreign agents” that has been criticised by Western and domestic critics as inspired by Russia.
More than 5,000 demonstrators massed outside Georgia’s Soviet-built parliament building, demanding the government withdraw the legislation requiring organisations that accept funds from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines.
Georgian critics label the bill “the Russian law”, comparing it to legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent.
Parliament’s legal affairs committee, which is controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies, endorsed the bill, clearing the way for it to be submitted for a first reading yesterday.
Protesters chanted “Russians! Russians!” at cordons of police securing approaches to the parliament, with water cannons deployed nearby.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry said 14 protesters had been detained for public order violations and one police officer had been treated for injuries.
“I hope we push hard enough to get this law out of the parliament,” said Tornike, a 24-year-old activist on Monday.
“But if they don’t do it, I think we have to push hard enough to get rid of this government.”
Many protesters dispersed in the evening after activists urged them to return for yesterday’s parliamentary sitting.
President Salome Zourabichvili, a frequent critic of Georgian Dream, pledged support for the protesters on the X social media platform, vowing “Georgia will not surrender to resovietisation!” The president’s role is mainly ceremonial.
The Georgian Dream party, largely under the control of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister, said this month it would reintroduce the bill, 13 months after it was shelved because of protests.
Earlier, television showed Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of Georgian Dream’s parliamentary faction and a key force behind the bill, being punched in the face by opposition member of the parliament Aleko Elisashvili while speaking from the dispatch box.
The incident prompted a brawl pitting lawmakers against each other, an occasional occurrence in the often-raucous parliament.
Footage showed Elisashvili being greeted with cheers outside the parliament. Several other opposition members were removed from the committee hearing by Georgian Dream legislators.
The bill has strained relations with European countries and the United States, which oppose its passage. The European Union, which gave Georgia candidate status in December, said the move was incompatible with the bloc’s values.
Georgian Dream said it wanted the country to join the EU and Nato, even after it had deepened ties with Russia and faced accusations of authoritarianism at home.