Georgian parliament halts session over fighting among lawmakers

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The proceedings of the Georgian parliament were abruptly halted on Tuesday due to a physical altercation among lawmakers as they continued debate over a controversial foreign agents bill.

The session, live-streamed on the parliament's website, focused on the deliberation of the draft bill, On Transparency of Foreign Influence. Tensions escalated during the discussion, leading to a physical confrontation between supporters and opponents of the proposed legislation.

Levan Khabeishvili, leader of the United National Movement opposition party, accused Dmitry Samkharadze, his counterpart from the ruling Georgian Dream party, of instigating violence against opponents of the bill in the streets of Tbilisi. In response, Samkharadze hurled a water bottle at Khabeishvili, sparking a scuffle between them and involving other members from both sides, including women lawmakers.

As the situation escalated, parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili intervened, bringing the meeting to an abrupt halt.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of ongoing protests in Georgia spanning nearly a month. The protests are in opposition to the proposed legislation, which mandates that non-governmental organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad must register as entities pursuing foreign interests or face penalties.