Hot debate and a flying bottle: Georgian parliamentary committee supports draft law on foreign agents in second reading

The Committee on Legal Affairs of the Georgian Parliament supported the draft law on foreign agents in the second reading. The meeting was held amid heated debates between the opposition and members of the parliamentary majority, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.

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MP Khatia Dekanoidze threw a plastic bottle at her colleague Guram Macharashvili when he called her a traitor.

The chairman of the Legal Committee, Henri Okhanashvili, removed 14 MPs and three NGO representatives from the hall. All of them expressed critical remarks about the draft law. The reason for the expulsion was a violation of the rules of procedure.

It is not yet clear when the bill will be put to a vote at the plenary session. The agenda for April 30 will be determined at a bureau meeting on Tuesday morning.

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On April 17, the parliamentary majority passed the bill in the first reading. Since then, Tbilisi has regularly hosted rallies demanding the initiative's withdrawal. The day before, tens of thousands of people gathered on Rustaveli Avenue under the slogan "No to Russian law, yes to Europe.

The bill must pass three readings in parliament to become law and overcome the veto of the Georgian president, who opposes it.

According to the initiative, all NGOs and media outlets with more than 20% of their income coming from abroad will be declared organizations that "pursue the interests of a foreign power." They will be required to register in a special register. Otherwise, they will face heavy fines.

The draft law is strongly criticized by partners in the US and EU. In 2023, the European Commission granted Georgia candidate status, opening up the prospect of its accession to the bloc. Western partners have repeatedly warned that the adoption of the law would harm the country's Euro-Atlantic integration.