Tsotne Ivanishvili, son of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party, made an appearance at a rally in central Tbilisi on Monday, lending his support to the controversial foreign transparency bill. 

The proposed legislation, currently being debated in the Georgian Parliament, has sparked intense discussion. Critics argue that the bill's stipulation requiring organizations to register if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign sources is a veiled attempt to suppress dissent and hinder Georgia's path towards European integration.

Tsotne Ivanishvili joined a procession from the Philharmonic to the Parliament, accompanied by members of the Georgian Dream youth organization. "I am here today to advocate for our integration into the European family. It's crucial that we become esteemed members, and I call on all young people to rally behind our cause. My position is unequivocal: I stand for Georgian sovereignty and uphold our laws," stated Tsotne Ivanishvili.

At 20:00, in front of the Parliament, Georgian Dream will host a public gathering under the banner "Estate, language, and faith." This rally follows widespread protests in Tbilisi against the bill, with demonstrators accusing the current authorities of aligning with Russian interests. 

While Georgian Dream argues that the bill, which was withdrawn last year due to mass protests and reintroduced in March, reflects European values, the EU, US, and the country’s foreign allies have labeled it a “Russian law”. They warn that if adopted, the law could impede the country’s EU integration efforts.