Georgian Parliament approves bill banning use of masks, laser devices in public rallies

The Georgian Parliament on Friday adopted in the final hearing a bill prohibiting participants of public gatherings or protests from possessing laser devices or “any equipment emitting sharp beams of light” and banning use of masks “or other means of covering faces”, in a development amid ongoing demonstrations against the Government's decision to suspend European Union accession talks until 2028.

The new regulations intend to prevent use of laser devices and other equipment that “may disrupt activities of state representatives or impair the functionality of technical equipment in their use”.

Vakhtang Gomelauri, the Interior Minister of the country, will establish a list of individuals who may cover their faces at protests “due to their professional activities”, while also determining procedures and conditions for issuing permits to these individuals.

The bill initially aimed to only ban use of pyrotechnics at protests, in a development that follows demonstrators' use of fireworks in the ongoing protests, before the mention of laser devices was added.

The law will come into effect immediately upon its publication in the Legislative Herald of Georgia.