The European Parliament (EP) resolution on violations of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Georgia says that “the media environment of Georgia, after several years of improvement, has rapidly deteriorated over the past few years.”
The resolution, voted by 308 to 218, expresses its concern over “the significant deterioration” of the media situation and the safety of journalists in Georgia in recent years, despite Georgia’s solid legal framework for guaranteeing freedom of expression and freedom of the media.
MEPs call on Georgia to ensure media freedom, “which should entail editorial independence, transparent media ownership and pluralistic, impartial and non-discriminatory coverage of political views in programming by private and, in particular, public broadcasters, especially during electoral campaigns; calls on Georgia to guarantee unhindered access to information that is supposed to be publicly available and to ensure the safety, protection and empowerment of journalists and other media professionals.”
It condemns “the increasing number of cases of intimidation, threats and violence against and the persecution of journalists, including an increasing number of criminal investigations into media workers and owners; calls on the Georgian authorities to thoroughly investigate any case of violence and to prosecute those responsible for inciting and carrying out violent attacks against journalists and other media workers, which would thereby remedy the impression of impunity for such crimes; calls on Georgia to restrict the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation that target human rights defenders and media representatives, which serve to inhibit their critical and independent work.”
The European Parliament also condemns the sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, the director of the main pro-opposition TV channel Mtavari, on 16 May 2022, “which has highlighted the persistent mistrust in Georgia’s judiciary system; endorses the call by Reporters Without Borders for a review of Nika Gvaramia’s conviction; emphasises, once more, the urgent need for the government to genuinely advance reform of the judiciary through a broad and inclusive cross-party process with the aim of increasing the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, in line with commitments taken as an associated partner of the EU.”
The resolution urges all the representatives of the Georgian Government “to refrain from using aggressive rhetoric and discriminatory treatment towards media representatives in Georgia and to advocate for a tolerant approach that is respectful of human rights in their public statements.”
It also strongly denounces “the persistent lack of diligent investigations or prosecutions of those responsible for the violence against journalists and peaceful demonstrators at the Tbilisi Pride march on 5 July 2021; insists that impunity for the perpetrators of such acts cannot be tolerated under any circumstances, as they are in breach of Georgia’s national legislation and international and European commitments alike, and calls for effective investigations into the incidents of 5 July 2021; condemns the continued discrimination against LGBTQI+ persons; urges the Georgian authorities to fully implement human rights and anti-discrimination legislation in practice.”
“EP calls on the Georgian authorities to conduct effective investigations into the wiretapping scandal and to put in place proper mechanisms for democratic oversight of surveillance and data collection by state institutions;
EP emphasises the need to guarantee a safe and conducive working environment for journalists, media workers and media outlets, both in legislation and in practice, including for those journalists seeking refuge from Russia, Belarus and other authoritarian regimes; encourages Georgia, therefore, to make use of international cooperation to improve the media environment and relevant legislation in line with best international practices;
EP commends Nino Lomjaria, the Public Defender of Georgia, for her actions in safeguarding freedom of the media, despite regular attacks by the government;
EP acknowledges the diverse and pluralistic media landscape in Georgia, but regrets the extremely tense relationship between the ruling party and critical media outlets, as well as between the opposition parties and pro-government media; deeply deplores the polarisation of the media landscape, which reflects the increasing and damaging polarisation of the political landscape;
EP reiterates its call on the Georgian authorities to refrain from interfering in media freedom or pursuing politically motivated judicial cases against media owners or representatives;
EP calls on the Georgian authorities to release former president Mikhail Saakashvili from prison on humanitarian grounds in order to allow him to undergo proper medical treatment abroad;
EP expresses its concern over the steady rise in Russian disinformation and information manipulation in Georgia, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and urges the Georgian Government to develop media literacy education programmes for its citizens, to support civil society in the creation of fact-checking mechanisms, and to take active steps to prevent disinformation campaigns by foreign or domestic actors against the country, vulnerable groups or persons, such as those living in ethnic minority communities or conflict-affected areas, and political parties,” the resolution asserted.
The European Parliament urges all Georgian political actors to refrain from exploiting Russian disinformation attempts to target their respective political opponents, as this only contributes to the further spread of disinformation and endangers social cohesion and democracy. It also encourages Georgia to make the best possible use of all the instruments and initiatives dedicated to strengthening resilience under the Eastern Partnership and calls on the Commission and the EU Member States to provide political, technical and financial support to independent media and civil society in Georgia.
“EP welcomes Georgia’s participation in the 2021-2027 Creative Europe programme; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support actions that monitor and assess risks to media pluralism and freedom, defend journalists under threat and facilitate the transformation and competitiveness of the news media sector in Georgia;
EP calls on the Georgian authorities to resolutely uphold the highest standards of democracy, the rule of law, judicial independence, fair trials and fundamental freedoms, including in the area of media freedom, and thereby unambiguously demonstrate their political determination to actualise the ambitious European aspirations of the people of Georgia, as witnessed by the country’s application for EU membership of 3 March 2022; expresses its belief that the legitimate aspirations of the people of Georgia deserve to be fulfilled and therefore calls for the EU institutions to work towards granting EU candidate status to Georgia, in line with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, on the basis of merit and on the condition that the Georgian authorities fulfil all criteria;
EP instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the President, Government and Parliament of Georgia,” the resolution concluded.
