Parliamentary committee takes 1 minute to assess Georgia's foreign agents law
Georgian Parliament's Legal Committee took just 67 seconds to assess and vote on the controversial foreign agents' law. At the same time, most opposition MPs could not join the session, Georgian news outlet Civil Georgia reported on May 13.
The weekend saw tens of thousands of people marching through Tbilisi on May 11 to voice their opposition to the bill, which would require organizations that receive foreign funding to be labeled as "foreign agents."
The law mirrors repressive Russian laws used to crack down on Kremlin regime critics and has become popularly known in Georgia as the "Russian law."
Most opposition lawmakers "were delayed outside the parliament building by the police," and deliberations did not take place, Civil Georgia said.
The Legal Committee reportedly took just 55 seconds to vote on the law.
Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition politician and former head of Ukraine's police, condemned the session as "shameful" and "illegitimate."
"We, the representatives of the opposition, were not allowed to attend the meeting, because the policemen delayed us outside," Dekanoidze said.
"Even the representatives of the majority did not have time to enter, only the chairman of the committee (Anri) Okhanashvili entered and a few people were supposedly granted legitimacy," Dekanoidze said.
According to Civil Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream party plans to adopt the law in its third and final hearing on May 14.
Nate Ostiller
