Parliament official says Gov’t has no choice but to respond to foreign-funded hate speech campaign

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said that for several months, Georgia had been the target of a foreign-funded campaign of hate speech, leaving authorities with no choice but to take appropriate legal action.

In his remarks, Makhashvili emphasised that the issue went far beyond constructive criticism.

“For months, we have been observing a campaign of hate speech from abroad, its funding, and support. We have no choice but to respond appropriately. This is not about healthy criticism. This is about outright insults, curses, and the language of hatred that we hear from politicians, so-called journalists, and others. When such a large-scale campaign of hatred occurs, we are compelled to respond and take appropriate legal action”, Makhashvili said.

The Georgian Dream faction has already filed a formal complaint with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, citing specific examples of insulting statements published on Facebook.