“Crocodile tears”: Georgian Parliament Speaker challenges UK Embassy narrative on Georgia’s press climate

Georgian Parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday responded to a statement by the British embassy regarding the “deteriorating state” of press freedom in Georgia.

According to Papuashvili’s assessment, the embassy's statement is filled with “false pathos”, as he claims it is Great Britain itself that is attempting to “kill” two TV stations - Imedi and POSTV - through the imposition of sanctions.

“When you read this text, filled with false pathos, from an embassy that has been trying to kill two leading Georgian TV stations for two months now, only one evaluation comes to mind - crocodile tears”, the speaker said in a social media message.