Judge Lela Tsagareishvili of Tbilisi City Court has fined three television stations critical of the government — Mtavari Arkhi, Formula, and Pirveli — 5000 GEL each for refusing to air an election clip from the ruling Georgian Dream party. Additionally, the judge upheld a petition from the Communications Commission, ordering the stations to broadcast the disputed clip immediately.
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"This is a completely unjustified decision. Not only did the court accept the violation protocol, but we were also ordered to air this immoral and illegal segment immediately after the ruling," said Eto Katamadze, the lawyer representing Formula.
The lawyers for the other two broadcasters also oppose the decision and plan to appeal it in the Court of Appeals.
"This creates constant pressure, with the threat of new fines every day. If we don’t comply with the decision immediately, we risk having our broadcasting rights suspended, which would endanger both public awareness and the company's operations," said Tornike Iaganashvili, a representative of Pirveli.
The case concerns a propaganda clip from the ruling party, titled "No to War, Choose Peace," which includes footage of Ukrainian cities bombed by Russia. The TV companies refused to air the clip, citing its unethical and immoral content. In response, Georgian Dream filed a complaint with the Communications Commission, requesting the broadcasters be declared in violation of the law.
Yesterday, October 10, the Communications Commission presented the TV companies with minutes of administrative violations. According to the regulator, refusing to air political advertisements for the stated reasons constitutes a violation of the law.
