Part of NGOs and media organizations: Georgian Dream has implemented a policy of censorship of critical television stations and taken another step towards dictatorship - we demand international support to protect democracy and media freedom

According to NGOs and media organizations, the Georgian Dream party has implemented a policy of censorship of critical television stations and taken another step towards dictatorship.

Representatives of the civil and media sectors have issued a joint statement regarding the complaint filed against critical media outlets with the Communications Commission. The statement emphasizes that the complaints are a clear and dangerous attempt to intimidate critical media outlets and suppress independent journalism.

“We express strong concern over the complaints filed by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, against leading critical broadcasters operating in Georgia - “TV Pirveli” and “Formula”, as well as “Mtavari TV” (currently operating on a website and social platforms only). The content of these complaints represents a direct attempt to impose censorship. Specifically, Georgian Dream is trying to prohibit the media from using the following terms: “regime prisoners,” “oligarch’s MP,” “Dream’s Ministry of Internal Affairs,” “regime’s prime minister,” illegitimate parliament,” “So-called investigative commission,” “so-called speaker of parliament,” among others.

The complaints submitted to the Communications Commission are a clear and dangerous attempt to intimidate critical media and suppress independent journalism - especially given that the Communications Commission is not an impartial arbiter but, like other state institutions, operates under the control of Georgian Dream.

The television companies are accused in the complaints of “biased coverage,” “spreading disinformation,” and “lack of balance regarding the ruling party.” However, these cases involve broadcasters adhering to the standards of critical and investigative journalism and expressing editorial opinions driven by high public interest, which is guaranteed by law.

Georgian Dream’s attempt to impose strict restrictions on critical broadcasters through a regulatory commission it controls - effectively banning the use of terms and evaluations that are unfavorable to the government - is unfolding against the backdrop of the following:

• Both within Georgian society and among the international community, there are numerous questions regarding the legitimacy of the 2024 parliamentary elections and the state institutions formed as a result of those elections;
• In a society where over 80% of the population supports Georgia’s European integration, the “Georgian Dream” government has declared a moratorium on negotiations with the European Union;
• Peaceful protest demonstrations have been violently dispersed through the use of excessive police force, with hundreds of protesters subjected to torture or other forms of inhumane treatment;
• Hundreds of protesters have faced unjust financial and administrative detention sanctions, and more than 60 individuals are undergoing legal proceedings on unfounded criminal charges;
• Anti-democratic and illiberal amendments have been introduced into the legislation, which fundamentally contradict basic human rights and freedoms, undermining the rule of law and the democratic constitutional order. In this regard, the 2024 “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence,” the “Law on Registration of Foreign Agents” adopted in April 2025, and amendments to the “Law on Grants” are especially concerning;
• Following the fundamental deterioration of the legal framework, criminal prosecutions of opposition political leaders are being carried out on formalistic grounds.

Narrower Context: Systemic Pressure on Independent Media

These complaints are not isolated incidents. They are part of a broader repressive policy aimed at:

• Encouraging physical and verbal attacks against journalists (particularly during protests);
• Promoting smear campaigns against media outlets and their representatives;
• Applying financial pressure and creating a politicized tax system;
• Deteriorating legislation designed to stigmatize and restrict foreign-funded media;
• Creating a favorable environment for media loyal to the government, while independent and critical media become targets of repression.

Why These Complaints Are Problematic

• They are a clear example of politically motivated SLAPP complaints (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation), aimed at systematically intimidating the media rather than addressing actual violations;
• They show signs of the abusive use of media regulatory mechanisms, which undermines editorial independence and freedom of expression;
• They misinterpret the principle of balance by demanding equal airtime for the ruling party, even though representatives of “Georgian Dream” routinely refuse to appear on or cooperate with critical television channels;
• These complaints are part of a broader authoritarian trend in which state institutions are used to silence critical voices and shrink civic space.

International Standards Violated by Georgian Dream’s Complaints

• Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights - Protects freedom of expression, including the media’s right to criticize public figures;
• UN Human Rights Committee General Comment No. 34 - Recognizes the media as a key instrument for ensuring political accountability;
• Joint Guidelines of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission - Warn that regulatory bodies must not become tools of political pressure, especially during election periods;
• Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 - Emphasizes the importance of the independence of regulatory authorities and prohibits the suppression of critical content.

We Call on International Partners and Organizations to:

• Clearly and publicly condemn the abuse of regulatory instruments against independent media;
• Demand monitoring of the Communications Commission’s activities to ensure its political impartiality and procedural fairness;
• Provide support to independent journalists in Georgia, including through legal and diplomatic mechanisms;
• Raise this issue at a high level in bilateral and multilateral communications with the ruling party, emphasizing that media freedom is a fundamental precondition for democratic legitimacy.

Independent media must be able to ask critical questions and demand answers. The legal intimidation of critical broadcasters is in direct contradiction to both the Georgian Constitution and the country’s international obligations.

We denounce these forms of censorship and call for international support to defend Georgian democracy and media freedom”, reads the statement, signed by: Transparency International-Georgia, Civil Society Foundation, Civic Movement for Freedom, Start Now, Alternative Georgia, Georgian Association for Psychosocial Aid Ndoba, Media Development Foundation, Radio Marneuli, Poti Citizens For Their Rights , Kakheti Regional Development Foundation

Family Against Discrimination, Documentary Association Georgia, Union of Democrat Meskhs, Salam, Kvemo Kartli Women's Association Women and the World, Neo TV and Georgian Media Group, Profesio, Mtis Ambebi, Europe Foundation, International Institute for Education Policy Planning and Management, Aures Foundation, Alliance of Women with Disabilities, Bbsa- Georgia, Center for Media, Information and Social Research, Black Sea Eco-Academy, Sapari, SAORSA, Lomeki, Georgian Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Georgian centre for Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitaion of Torture Victims, Woman and Development, Public Art Platform, ATSU, Human Rights Center, Prevention For Progress, Publika.