The Tbilisi City Court fined activist Badri Shubladze GEL 2,000 for insulting Archpriest Andria Jaghmaidze, head of the Public Relations Service of the Patriarchate, on social media.

The decision was issued by Judge Zviad Tsekvava.

“In my comment, I called him a pig, said that he is not Georgian, that he is not even a ‘Ghruzini’ [a derogatory term for Georgians used by some Russians], but a full-fledged ‘Ghrusi’ [a derogatory term for Russians]. I do not think I insulted Jaghmaidze. The pig is more insulted by being mentioned alongside Jaghmaidze. A member of the clergy should not be a millionaire and own enormous wealth.

I was given one week to pay, and I do not know how a pensioner receiving a GEL 500 pension is supposed to collect the money in one week,” Badri Shubladze said.

The Hate Speech Combat Unit established at the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respond legally to the activist’s social media post filed the case with the court.