GDI submitted a report on the media environment in Georgia to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression. In particular, the report reviews the problems hindering the free environment for the media and the achievement of sustainable development goals, especially goal N16.
The report highlights the growing tendency of Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) in the form of defamation lawsuits, which are initiated by government representatives or persons associated with the government against the critical media. It is noteworthy that, so far, there have been about 32 SLAPP cases that are aimed at discrediting the critical media and preventing them from expressing critical opinions.
The report also describes politically motivated criminal cases against media managers and founders. Special attention was paid to the case of Nika Gvaramia.
The full functioning of the media is also hindered by attacks on media representatives, including by government officialss. The report describes the events of 5 July 2021 and provides examples of verbal attacks on critical media representatives by the members of the government.
The activities of critical media organizations are also impeded by the decisions of the National Communications Commission of Georgia, which raise a reasonable suspicion that the actions of the Communications Commission are biased and serve to silence critical media and limit their freedom of expression.
In light of the actions of the National Communications Commission of Georgia, the report raises concerns over the 2022 amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, which expanded the Commission's mandate, established the immediate enforcement of its decisions, and the commission's oversight of the right of reply and hate speech.
The report also discusses information disseminated in September 2022 about an alleged illegal and large-scale secret surveillance by the State Security Service targeting various individuals, including critical media representatives and journalists.
Each of the above-mentioned problems points to the worsening of the protection of freedom of expression and the media environment in Georgia. This regress further distances Georgia from the sustainable development goals. GDI hopes that the submitted information and assessments will assist the UN Special Rapporteur in his evaluation of the situation and the preparation of the thematic report.
The submitter reports/contributions will be used by the UN Special Rapporteur to report to the Human Rights Council Forum on "Freedom of thought and expression and sustainable development - why voice matters" in June 2023.
