The ruling party will always fight hate speech in Georgia – Prime Minister

The Georgian authorities will use all legal mechanisms to combat hate speech in Georgian society, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said.

The Georgian Interior Ministry has launched administrative proceedings against 15 journalists and politicians for posts on social media. Most of the posts concerned insults against politicians.

“Hate and hostility campaigns are being conducted in Georgia with external financial support. We will use all legal means to counter these processes. Of course, hatred and hostility have a negative impact on developments in the country,” Kobakhidze said.

According to him, the authorities have the legal right to oppose these artificially imposed campaigns within the legal framework.

“There should be no place for hatred and hostility in Georgian society,” Kobakhidze said.

Last week, the ruling party's parliamentary faction filed a complaint with the police over hate speech directed at it.

In its complaint, the party relies on the provisions of the Criminal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia, which were approved in March this year.

According to the Criminal Code of Georgia, threats of violence against a Georgian state or political official, political official, civil servant, person equivalent to a civil servant, and/or a member of their family while performing their official duties or in connection with the performance of their official duties, or related to their activities is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to 12 years.

At the same time, according to the Code of Administrative Offenses, swearing, verbal insults, offensive behavior, or other offensive actions against a person holding a state-political position, political position, or state position while they are performing their official duties, as well as the same actions related to the performance of official duties or activities of persons, shall be punishable by a fine of 1,500 to 4,000 lari or arrest for up to 45 days.

Reprinted from https://sputnik-georgia.ru/