Maia Darsmelidze, a musician critical of the ruling Georgian Dream government, said on June 11 she has been notified by Interior Ministry’s newly established unit tasked with monitoring “hate speech” of administrative proceedings against her, marking the first reported case involving the unit established on June 1.
According to Darsmelidze, who said she is scheduled to appear in Tbilisi City Court on July 10, the complaint against her was filed with the unit – which ruling party critics mockingly dubbed the “scroll-and-screening” unit – by Nino Jgharkava, a vocal supporter of the ruling party, based on two screenshots of her Facebook posts in which she allegedly used insulting language.
The special unit within Georgia’s Interior Ministry was established on June 1, nearly two weeks after an initiative was announced by Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Georgian Dream state minister for coordination of law enforcement bodies, who said the unit would “systematically monitor” any public statements containing “hate speech,” “incitement of enmity,” or “violation of dignity.”
The announcement drew criticism from government opponents and human rights advocates, who warned it could be used to as a “censorship mechanism” and further restrict freedom of expression in the country. In recent months, government critics have faced fines and administrative detention over statements court deemed “insulting” toward public officials, including social media posts, after the Georgian Dream-led parliament in February made such “insults” an administrative offense.
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