Brawl Occurs In Georgian Parliament Over ‘Foreign Agents’ Bill

A brawl recently took place in the Georgian parliament as legislators of the ruling party were set to advance a bill on “foreign agents” that has been criticized by Western countries.

Footage on Georgian television showed the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s parliamentary faction, Mamuka Mdinaradze, getting punched in the face by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili as he spoke from the so-called “dispatch box,” according to CNN.

The proposed law “would oblige civil society organizations receiving more than 20% of annual funding from sources outside Georgia to openly state that they are ‘pursuing the interests of a foreign power’” or face fines.

Georgians, alongside Western countries, oppose the measure, likening it to Russian laws used by the Kremlin to silence dissent.

“The bill has strained relations with European countries and the United States, who have said they oppose its passage. The European Union, which gave Georgia candidate status in December, has said the move is incompatible with the bloc’s values,” CNN reported.

“Georgian Dream says it wants the country to join the EU and NATO, even as it has deepened ties with Russia and faced accusations of authoritarianism at home. It says the bill is necessary to combat what it calls ‘pseudo-liberal values’ imposed by foreigners, and to promote transparency,” the outlet continued.

On April 15, 2024, thousands of protesters descended on the parliament building to voice their opposition to the legislation.

RedState pointed out that one of the reasons there is such massive opposition to the bill is because “the term ‘foreign agent’ is rooted in the Soviet past and suggests such people are traitors and enemies of the state.”

CNN noted that Russia is viewed highly unfavorably in Georgia, primarily because of the government’s support for “the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” In 2008, Russia defeated Georgia in a conflict.

If the foreign agent legislation passes the legislature’s legal affairs committee, which is likely since the Georgian Dream party controls the committee, it will then advance to a first reading in parliament.

In October 2024, elections will be held in the Eastern European country and although the Georgian Dream party is the most prominent, its number have been dwindling since 2020.