Georgian parliamentary committee approves bill on foreign agents amidst controversy

In a contentious session, the Georgian Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs has moved forward with the bill on foreign agents in its first reading, despite vehement opposition and heated debates.

The hearings on the bill were characterized by intense exchanges between representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party and the opposition. Tensions reached a climax when a physical altercation erupted between Alexander Elisashvili, a member of the opposition Citizens party, and Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the parliamentary majority, prompting the chairman of the meeting to call for a recess, as reported by TASS.

Subsequently, Anri Okhanashvili, the head of the legal affairs committee, was compelled to eject up to 10 opposition members from the meeting room due to what was deemed as "inappropriate behaviour." The date for the bill's presentation to the plenary session of parliament remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, outside the parliament, a rally against the bill unfolded, with protesters attempting to encircle the building symbolically. Clashes intermittently erupted between demonstrators and law enforcement officials.

In a notable development, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili voiced support for the protesters gathered in Tbilisi near the parliament building, denouncing the law on foreign agents. Zourabichvili accused the police of unjustly detaining individuals who were advocating for Georgia's European aspirations.

"Singing demonstration in Tbilisi after the adoption by the legal affairs Committee of the Russian Law," Zourabichvili expressed on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

"Georgian Dream majority expelled all opposition MPs from the hearing before the vote! Massive peaceful demonstration of civil society in Tbilisi against the 'Russian law'. 'Spetznats' with water and gas canons ready to pass to action against civilians defending their European future. Arrests are ongoing. Georgia will not surrender to resovietisation!" she added.

The developments surrounding the bill on foreign agents underscore the deep divisions within Georgian society and the intense political polarization gripping the nation. As the debate rages on, the future trajectory of the legislation and its implications for Georgia's democratic institutions remain subjects of considerable scrutiny and concern.