Georgian FM: deeply troubling when freedom of speech, media freedom are interpreted selectively

Georgian foreign minister Maka Botchorishvili on Friday slammed the fact that journalists from three different Georgian television channels were denied entry into Moldova and prevented from carrying out their professional duties.

In her address at the 135th session of the committee of ministers of the Council of Europe, Botchorishvili noted that it was deeply troubling when freedom of speech and media freedom were interpreted selectively.

“Today, Europe faces numerous challenges. Yet war and conflicts are not the only threats undermining the very foundations upon which Europe was built. Equally dangerous are the relativization of truth, double standards, the re-evaluation of values for political expediency, and the weakening of democratic principles in the name of democracy itself”, the FM said.

“Today, journalists from three different Georgian television channels who wished to cover our meeting, were denied entry into Moldova and prevented from carrying out their professional duties. It is deeply troubling when freedom of speech and media freedom are interpreted selectively”, she continued.

Botchorishvili claimed that in recent years, criticism of Georgia had become, for some, the most voguish pursuit.

She emphasised that criticism was a natural part of democracy, but when political objectives were placed above facts, this no longer served to strengthen democracy, adding it eroded trust.

“It is hypocrisy to lament a so-called “democratic backsliding” while simultaneously encouraging radical forces that are rejecting elections; to claim “support for the Georgian people” while demonstratively distancing oneself from the government elected by those very people; to speak of the rule of law while at the same time seeking ways to circumvent law and justice”, the minister noted.

“To criticise a country occupied by Russia for the perceived insufficiency of its resistance to Russia, and to casually attach the label of “pro-Russian”, is no longer a political assessment - it is a simplification of reality and an evasion of responsibility”, she continued.

“Upholding and respecting principles bear particular significance for us - for a country whose territories remain 20 percent occupied by Russia, and whose hundreds of thousands of citizens are still deprived of the right to return to their homes. The occupation, effective control, and Russia’s responsibility for grave human rights violations have been confirmed by international courts, including judgments of the European Court of Human Rights”, she added.

“Nevertheless, Russia continues to disregard its international obligations and is taking further steps toward the annexation of Georgia’s regions. Evidence of this is the so-called “Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation” signed on May 9, 2026, between Moscow and the Russian occupation regime in Tskhinvali”, she noted.

Botchorishvili further discussed the continued war in Ukraine, expressing Georgian Government’s firm commitment to the peaceful and comprehensive resolution of conflicts.

She added that the government continued to do everything possible to preserve peace, stability, and security in the region.

“Today, as the war in Ukraine continues, it has become even clearer that no country can truly be secure if international law is applied selectively, if occupation is gradually accepted as a “new normal,” and if force is allowed to prevail over law”, the FM noted.

“Georgia remains firmly committed to the peaceful and comprehensive resolution of conflicts and continues to do everything possible to preserve peace, stability, and security in the region. We know the price of war all too well, and we understand that peace is not merely the absence of military escalation, but a responsibility before our people, our region, and our shared European future”, she concluded.