Georgian Parliament official accuses BBC of politically motivated smear journalism

Archil Gorduladze, Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, on Tuesday criticised the British public broadcaster BBC, accusing it of abandoning journalistic ethics and engaging in politically motivated smear campaigns.

Gorduladze was responding to reports that US President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC.

“The BBC, which was once a standard-bearer of journalistic ethics, has unfortunately turned into a form of journalism whose main purpose is to discredit individuals who are inconvenient for certain forces”, the Parliament official said.

“The same happened with President Trump, who was accused of saying words he never actually said. In our case, Georgia was accused of using weapons that have not been used anywhere in the world since the 1920s. This was a direct attack on Georgia and a step taken against the country’s interests. If Trump files a lawsuit, in the case of a fair trial, a decision should be made in his favour”, Gorduldze concluded.