Ruling party suit against three critical media alarming – Media Advocacy Coalition

The Media Advocacy Coalition on Wednesday said that the recent suit of the Georgian Dream ruling party against three opposition-minded TV channels to the Communications Commission was “alarming”. 

 

The coalition claimed that the GD’s move “aimed to exert pressure” on Formula, Pirveli and Mtavari channels for releasing an ad prior to the Home to Europe rally in June of this year. 

 

“Preventing the posting of videos critical of the ruling party lacks a legal basis and threatens pluralism in the country. Such an attitude is incompatible with the principles of modern democratic state management”, said the coalition, urging the Communications Commission “not to continue the practice of restricting critical media outlets and to consider both the importance of the controversial issue and the risks of limiting media freedom when making a decision”. 

 

The GD said the “political ad” was aired in a non-electoral period which was the violation of the domestic legislation, and that it contained “distorted” messages to “harm the reputation of the Georgia Dream and to display the party as anti-Western”.