Georgian Dream Creates New Body to Monitor Public Expression

(Beka Chedia – The Jamestown Foundation) Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party announced the creation of a special division to monitor public communication and prosecute hate speech on May 18, adding to fears that the government is institutionalizing censorship and expanding control over dissent and online criticism. Critics, including human rights groups and even clergy members, warn that new laws criminalizing insults against officials enable arbitrary enforcement against journalists, activists, and opposition figures and threaten freedom of expression. Evolving censorship and surveillance in Georgia increasingly resemble People’s Republic of China-style internet controls, raising concerns that intensified repression could deepen polarization and spur new political resistance within Georgian society. – Georgian Dream Creates New Body to Monitor Public Expression – Jamestown