Georgian Parliament Speaker condemns “uncivil society”, foreign funding of hate speech

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday condemned certain non-governmental organisations and opposition media outlets, accusing them of spreading hatred, inciting violence, and undermining democratic consolidation.

In a social media message, Papuashvili asserted that “democracy cannot be consolidated through dirty methods”. He argued that NGOs that promote hatred and encourage violence cannot be considered part of civil society, as they distort the very concepts of Western values and democracy.

Papuashvili's remarks followed a recent incident where aggressive activists from the radical opposition gathered outside the home of the Parliament Vice Speaker Thea Tsulukiani, subjecting her and her family, including a young child, to insults and threats.

“Two days ago, late at night, aggressive activists from the radical opposition gathered outside the home of the Parliament Vice Speaker Thea Tsulukiani, directing insults and threats at her and her family, including a young child”, he noted.

“Prior to this, Baia Pataraia, the head of one of the opposition-linked NGOs, wished death upon Thea Tsulukiani in a social media post using the harshest terms in the Georgian language - alongside several other threatening and degrading messages”, the Speaker continued.

Papuashvili pointed out that “the bosses” of this NGO cartel and the media controlled by the opposition increasingly resembled Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines - the hate-inciting broadcaster that “played a central role in the genocide in Rwanda 30 years ago”.

He further stated that the language of hatred from NGOs, opposition-affiliated media, and the so-called civil activists had become part of everyday life, adding that under the guise of freedom of speech, these individuals were not only promoting political polarisation but were also striving for civil confrontation, which, according to him, was their main tactics in the struggle for power.

“These groups may not personally pull the trigger, but they create the hysterical environment that made assassination attempts on the US President Donald Trump and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico possible. It is clear that stirring hysteria and creating mass hate targets has become the core tactic of pseudo-liberal forces”, he continued.

Papuashvili further emphasised that foreign donors who claimed to support democracy, the rule of law, and - most cynically - human rights, were funding this dangerous and large-scale campaign of hate.

“It is impossible to finance terror and simultaneously disclaim responsibility. The new trend of foreign diplomats visiting groups involved in street violence and hate campaigns, as a demonstration of support, only encourages their sense of impunity”, he said.

“Unfortunately, as we see, the sincere acknowledgment by the current US administration of the flaws in its foreign aid practices has not been matched by similar steps from European and British donors, who have chosen to continue the practice of politically undermining Governments in foreign countries”, Papuashvili concluded.