Civic Idea head condemns Georgian Government’s media law as censorship

Tina Khidasheli, chairwoman of the civil organization Civic Idea, has criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party’s proposed media law, calling it an attempt to impose censorship reminiscent of Soviet-era restrictions. The legislation, “aimed at regulating journalistic ethics and media objectivity”, amid protests against halted EU integration has sparked concerns over press freedom and government control.

“They still can’t stop the Georgian media, so they decided to create a regular censorship ministry. We have experience with this in our country,” Khidasheli stated.

Khidasheli warned that authorities are now attempting to control every word through legal means, calling the initiative a punitive measure against independent media. “They will already try to control every word in various laws and regulations,” she added. According to her, such attempts will only fuel greater resistance from civil society, as happened with previous legislative efforts.

“No matter how many such punitive measures they decide to carry out, they will only increase and expand the resistance movement. They can write new laws, just as they repealed the previous law, they will repeal this law too. They failed to pass it in 2023, they passed it in 2024 and failed to implement it. Now they will receive something new, and the same fate awaits this new one,” she stated.

Meanwhile, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of Georgian Dream, confirmed on Wednesday that a new media law is in the works. According to him, the legislation will establish standards for media objectivity and journalistic ethics, though further details have yet to be disclosed.