Georgian Parliament Speaker alleges coordinated effort to shut down free media in Georgia

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday lashed out at foreign actors, accusing them of a coordinated effort to “shut down free media” in Georgia.

Papuashvili's remarks come in the wake of news that the European Parliament has suspended the accreditation of the Georgian broadcaster Imedi TV for one year. Simultaneously, Moldova denied accreditation to three Georgian TV channels without providing a formal explanation.

In his remarks, Papuashvili suggested that Brussels is “intimidated by the truth” and is resorting to restrictive measures because their narratives are no longer effective.

“This is part of an effort to shut down free media in Georgia”, Papuashvili said, adding that recent decisions by the United Kingdom and European institutions against Georgian media broadcasters were “hostile actions” aimed at limiting independent voices.

He also criticised comments made by MEP Rasa Juknevičienė, accusing her of making what he called “fascist statements” toward the Georgian people. Papuashvili claimed that, unable to fully implement threats against Georgian media, foreign actors are now attempting “small-scale pressure” against broadcasters and journalists.

The speaker further alleged that European institutions and organisations funded by the European Union spent significant resources to damage the reputation of the Georgian Parliament. He specifically referenced NGOs, media watchdog groups, and journalist ethics organisations that, according to him, were involved in criticising parliamentary accreditation rules.

Papuashvili noted that a legal complaint regarding accreditation regulations remains under review in Georgia’s Constitutional Court and claimed that it was supported by the EU Delegation and the European Parliament.

“In the Georgian Parliament, the rule is as follows: if a respondent does not wish to give an interview, a journalist can still begin the interview, but if the respondent tells them to stop, the interview must then be terminated. It turns out that in the European Parliament, prior consent from the respondent is actually required. That is interesting; we will think about this. When a rule is violated [here], the sanction is a one-month suspension of accreditation, and in the case of a repeat offence, six months. Imedi TV had its accreditation suspended for one year. We will think about this as well. I intend to consider whether or not to introduce corresponding changes to the accreditation rules, requiring you to obtain prior consent from a respondent before starting an interview. We will also consider increasing the duration of accreditation suspensions”, Papuashvili concluded.