The “Georgian Dream” government has taken yet another step toward establishing authoritarianism in the country. A new department has been created within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), tasked with “combating hate speech” and controlling citizens’ freedom of expression in public spaces and on social media networks.
Handing over a censorship mandate to a law enforcement agency under the pretext of “combating hate speech” directly violates the Constitution of Georgia and the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression.
With this decision, the government is attempting to instill fear and self-censorship. This creates a severe risk of selective prosecution, where any sharp political criticism, humor, or satire expressed on social media can be deemed an “infraction.” From here, it is only a single step toward the censorship of media and artistic expression.
We firmly believe that disputes regarding freedom of expression belong strictly within the purview of an independent judiciary or media self-regulation bodies, not law enforcement structures. It is particularly cynical that this department is placed under the MIA’s Human Rights Protection Department.
Free speech is one of the ultimate achievements of a free Georgia. Restricting it drags the country back to the darkest years of Soviet censorship.
