Georgian Dream moves to crack down on ‘foreign-funded hate speech’

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party announced that it will take legal steps against what it claims is a coordinated campaign of “foreign-funded hate speech” against officials.

The party has formally asked the Ministry of Internal Affairs to investigate cases of hate speech, arguing that it is externally financed, and claiming that slander of officials undermines respect for democratic institutions.

Davit Matikashvili, chair of parliament’s procedural committee, said insulting public officials must not be normalized. “Every such case must receive an appropriate legal response,” he said, adding that expressions of protest should remain within “dignified” limits. Member of Parliament Irakli Kirchkhalia described the atmosphere as a “nightmare” driven by lobbyists and foreign-backed activists who are allegedly destabilizing the political environment under the banner of democracy.

GD’s latest move comes after years of gradually harsher measures which some say are limiting democratic rights, while others claim are necessary to rein in powerful foreign-backed pressure groups. Critics of the measures argue that the ruling party is using legal tools to suppress dissent.

One recent case cited by opposition groups is that of Ucha Kemashvili, an anti-GD activist who was detained during the 26 May Independence Day events, which passed mostly without incident despite intense political conflict. He received a 10-day administrative sentence, which was later overturned, but his detention sparked criticism that police were using heavy-handed tactics to silence government critics.

According to people close to Kemashvili, the real reason for his detention was burning a banner carrying the ruling GD party’s logo.

The GD-led government maintains that its actions defend public order and institutional integrity, especially amid what it sees as attempts to provoke unrest.