Parliament to align media accreditation rules with 'European Parliament standards', Papuashvili

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has announced changes to the parliament’s media accreditation system, saying the rules will be brought closer to those used by the European Parliament.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Papuashvili said repeated violations of accreditation rules could result in the suspension of accreditation for up to one year.

Under the current system, a first violation leads to a one-month suspension, while a repeated violation results in a six-month suspension. Papuashvili said the revised framework would allow for a one-month suspension after a first offence and up to a one-year suspension for repeat violations.

The parliament speaker also said sanctions would no longer apply only to individual journalists.

Papuashvili added media organisations themselves could face accreditation suspension for up to one year, depending on the severity and frequency of violations, reflecting practices used in the European Parliament.

At the same time, Papuashvili noted that Georgia would not adopt all European Parliament rules. He said parliament would not introduce a requirement for journalists to obtain prior consent from MPs before conducting interviews, describing the Georgian system as more refined in that respect