US Senator urges passage of MEGOBARI Act to confront Georgian Gov’t

US Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called on Congress to urgently consider the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act, citing what she described as a growing assault on media freedom and democratic institutions by Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream.

Speaking from Washington, Senator Shaheen criticized recent actions taken by the Georgian government, accusing it of politically motivated attacks against independent media outlets and efforts to silence dissenting voices.

“Supporting the Georgian people means holding Dream accountable for its attacks on press freedom and democratic institutions,” Shaheen said in a statement. “The GD campaign is an attack on democracy.”

Her comments come amid mounting controversy in Georgia over amendments to the country’s broadcasting law and the filing of formal complaints against independent television channels, including Formula, TV Pirveli, and Mtavari Arkhi. These complaints were submitted to the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC), whose impartiality has come under increasing scrutiny.

“Independent media is the cornerstone of any democracy,” Shaheen noted. “When the Georgian Dream government amended the broadcasting law, it raised serious concerns that the law could be used against independent Georgian media.”

She warned that the recent regulatory actions appeared to target media outlets not for breaches of professional standards, but for political reasons. “Now, when Georgian Dream is filing complaints against independent TV stations such as Formula, TV Pirveli, and Mtavari with the Georgian National Communications Commission, whose independence is in question, it is clear that these media outlets will be targeted not for professional standards, but for political purposes,” she said.

The MEGOBARI Act -nan acronym for Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience, and Independence - is a bipartisan legislative initiative aimed at strengthening US support for democracy and civil society in Georgia. It includes provisions for sanctions and other measures against individuals deemed responsible for undermining democratic norms or engaging in corruption.

Shaheen emphasized that the legislation was designed to reinforce the United States’ commitment to the Georgian people, particularly in light of “increasing authoritarian tendencies” within the country’s leadership. “That is why I have called on the Senate to consider our bipartisan MEGOBARI Act,” she reiterated.