According to the U.S. embassy in Georgia, the “hate speech” monitoring department recently created by the Georgian government is “concerning.”
This is not the first time the U.S. has criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Opposition journalist Vakho Sanaia was recently sentenced to 14 days in prison for criticizing the ruling party on Facebook; Georgian Dream officials said the expressions used were offensive. Sanaia was arrested on the street near his home after previously failing to appear at a hearing for his case. The proceedings against the journalist were conducted by a committee officially established by the Interior Ministry in June to combat “hate speech and aggression.”
An embassy spokesperson declared:
The Trump administration has been clear that the US considers free speech to be foundational to a functioning society, and we strongly oppose censorship and restrictive laws used to silence disfavored voices.
Relations between the Caucasian state and its Western partners have worsened since the 2024 elections in Georgia, with Washington imposing sanctions on numerous Georgian officials, including Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling party.
In November 2024, after Tbilisi decided to suspend the country’s European Union membership bid, the United States also suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia.
