An opposition deputy punches another in the face

A brawl took place this Monday in the Georgian Parliament in a session that sought to move forward a controversial bill on “foreign agents” that has been harshly criticized by Western countries. In images broadcast by Georgian television, it is seen how Mamuka Mdinaradze, leader of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Georgian Dream party and promoter of the bill, receives a punch in the face from the opposition deputy Aleko Elisashvili while speaking on the stand.

The attack sparked a wider brawl involving several lawmakers in an incident that occurs from time to time in the Georgian parliament.

Earlier this month, Georgian Dream announced that it would reintroduce a law that requires organizations that accept funds from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines, 13 months after protests forced it to shelve the plan, it reported Reuters.

The bill was criticized by several European countries and the United States. The European Union, which granted candidate country status in December, has declared that this measure is incompatible with block values. Critics in the country have described it as “russian law”, comparing it to similar legislation used by the Kremlin to suppress dissent in Russia.

Before the start of the session, several hundred protesters gathered at the Parliament building and, in the afternoon, a massive protest called by civil society organizations is planned.

Georgian Dream, which says it wants the country to join the EU and NATO even though it has strengthened ties with Moscow, says the bill is necessary to combat what he calls “pseudoliberal values” taxes by foreigners, and to promote transparency.

Once approved by members of the legislature's legal affairs committee, controlled by Georgian Dream and its allies, the foreign agents bill can move to first reading in Parliament.