Parliament approves controversial bill on transparency at second reading

The Georgian Parliament on Wednesday approved the second reading of the bill on the transparency of foreign influence that has sparked public protests and criticism by some of the country’s foreign partners.

The legislative piece, which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, was supported by 83 MPs in the 150-member lawmaking body.

It requires groups “considered to be an organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power” to be registered in the public registry with the status and publicise their received funding.

The Parliament will have one more hearing of the draft law before its adoption.

The bill sparked a public protest in Georgia, with 63 protesters detained and 11 individuals, including six law enforcement officers and an opposition politician, injured during the rally on Tuesday.

• Deputy Interior Minister says 63 detained, 6 officers injured during transparency bill protests

The Interior Ministry recently announced that employees of various police units were mobilised in the vicinity of the Parliament building, where a rally is being held today against the draft law, in order to eliminate “artificially created” escalating events and protect public order.

The body also said the law enforcement officers had ensured the safe exit of MPs and employees of the Parliament, while also calling on political leaders, organisers and participants of the rally not to violate the law and express protest peacefully.

The Ministry once again stressed the blocking of entrances of administrative bodies was prohibited and that the police would prevent any violation of the law.