MEP Petr Bystron claims free speech argument masks effort to overthrow Georgian Gov’t

Petr Bystron, Member of the European Parliament, on Thursday said that the challenge Georgia faced was the same challenge every independent country had to address - protecting its sovereignty and ensuring democratic elections, stressing that the Georgian people have made their choice through free elections and have no intention of following foreign-funded NGOs.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Bystron criticised the European Union’s “patronising” attitude, emphasising that the EU “should not be lecturing other nations about freedom of expression or journalism”. To support his claim, Bystron pointed to examples of journalists being jailed in EU member states.

“The current developments are not about protecting freedom of expression or supporting independent journalism - they are a coordinated attempt to overthrow Georgia’s democratically elected and legitimate Government”, the MEP said.

“We see Western nations funding NGOs - in Georgia, this was previously done through USAID. Donald Trump halted that funding, but the EU continues it. These NGOs then send activists into the streets, some of whom have physically attacked the police. One such individual ended up in prison after assaulting a police officer. Meanwhile, the European Parliament stages a show in defense of that person. This same playbook has been used in numerous other countries to undermine legitimate governments - and now it’s Georgia’s turn”, he continued.

Bystron further highlighted that the mentioned fact constituted direct interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.

“I said this during the debates, and so did my colleague, former French minister Thierry Mariani. NGOs in your country are funded from abroad and promote foreign narratives. This is public knowledge. That’s exactly why Trump cut funding via USAID. In the past, billions of dollars were spent on these NGOs preparing regime changes in various nations. The same is now happening here - only it’s the EU trying to replace USAID and continue the funding”, the MEP stated.

He accused globalist forces of using the European Parliament as a stage for their propaganda and said the EU should not have acted like a teacher to others on matters of free speech - especially when freedom of expression was under pressure in Europe itself.

“In Germany, journalist and editor David Bendels was sentenced to seven months in prison and fined - just for publishing a meme on Facebook where a former interior minister holds a sign reading, “I hate free speech”. That kind of joke can cost you seven months behind bars in Germany. Another journalist, a popular YouTuber, served nine months in prison”, Bystron noted.

“There are more cases like this across the EU and in the UK. One of the most famous imprisoned journalists is Tommy Robinson, who received several months in jail because his documentary Silence was not aired. I recommend watching it - even Elon Musk supported him. That’s the reality of the European Union today”, he concluded.