After almost 10 hours of article-by-article discussion, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament supported the draft law "On transparency of foreign influence" in the second reading.

The meeting of the committee started at 09:00 a.m. and the whole time it was going on amid noise.

The chairman of the committee, Anri Okhanashvili, turned off the microphones of the opposition MPs several times, gave them a warning and then kicked them out of the meeting hall.

In total, Anri Okhanashvili expelled 14 opposition deputies from the hall: Giorgi Vashadze, Levan Bezhashvili, Salome Samadashvili, Tamar Kordzaia, Tako Charkviani, Ketevan Turazashvili, Ana Tsitlidze, Levan Khabeishvili, Davit Khajishvili, Giorgi Godabrelidze, Khatia Dekanoidze, Nika Machutadze, Tina Bokuchava and Theona Akubardia . He also left the session for representatives of several non-governmental organizations. Deputies Iago Khvichia, Ana Natsvlishvili and Paata Manjgaladze left the session as a sign of protest.

The draft law initiated for the second time by the "Georgian Dream" faction "In order to ensure transparency" envisages the registration of such non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities and media outlets, whose income - more than 20% - is received from abroad as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power. According to the project, everyone who is considered to be an "organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power" must be registered in the public registry in the same name database. At the time of registration, it will be necessary to reflect the received income. At the same time, the organizations will have the obligation to fill in the financial declaration every year.

The draft law "In order to identify the organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power" grants the Ministry of Justice the authority to conduct research and study and monitor the issue at any time.

According to the project, the basis for starting the monitoring will be the decision of the relevant authorized person of the Ministry of Justice and the written statement submitted to the Ministry of Justice, which "contains an appropriate reference related to a specific organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power".

Taking into account the project, if as a result of monitoring it was revealed that the subject meets the criteria of an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power, but it avoided registration as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power, the agency, "based on the appeal of the relevant authorized person" of the Ministry of Justice, will register it as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power, which It will not release the said subject from the responsibility stipulated by the law.

Avoiding registration as an organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power or not filling out the declaration will result in the organization being fined in the amount of 25 thousand GEL.

The draft also envisages the following types of fines: - 10 thousand GEL if the organization does not fill out the application form within 10 working days from the entry on the website of the Ministry of Justice; In case of not correcting the defects in the documents within the specified period - 10 thousand GEL; Committing a legal offense after one month - 20 thousand GEL.