40 arrested at rally against transparency bill in Georgia, minister reveals

40 individuals were apprehended by the police during a rally opposing the foreign influence transparency bill, Minister of Internal Affairs, Vakhtang Gomelauri, disclosed this figure while addressing the Parliament on Friday. 

Previously, only 34 detentions were reported, with Gomelauri stating, “some rally participants turned aggressive towards law enforcement, hurling objects such as stones and bottles, splashing paint, and engaging in verbal and physical confrontations with officers, while refusing to comply with lawful orders.” 

The aftermath of the protests resulted in several injuries, with two officers and five civilians being hospitalized. MP Aleko Elisashvili also alleged mistreatment by security personnel.

The controversy bill passed its initial reading on April 17. Eighty-three lawmakers, including 73 from the ruling Georgian Dream, nine from People’s Power, and one from European Socialists, supported the bill. The bill aims to register non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “aligned with the interests of a foreign power” if they obtain more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad and is largely criticized as a “Russian law” by domestic actors and international partners.