MP Sharashidze: It is irresponsible for Papuashvili to accuse EU of encouraging hate speech

“People understand very well who, in reality, is encouraging hate speech in this country,” Giorgi Sharashidze, a member of Gakharia for Georgia, said.

Sharashidze was commenting on a social media post by Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, in which Papuashvili wrote that protecting human rights does not require justifying a person’s conduct, and that one can challenge a sentence while condemning violence against a police officer, or defend freedom of expression while condemning insults against citizens. Papuashvili said this was the consistency he expected from the European Union.

According to Sharashidze, it is irresponsible for Papuashvili to accuse the EU of encouraging hate speech.

“Not only Shalva Papuashvili, but all Georgian Dream leaders themselves spread hatred and contempt every day. How can these people talk about others? How can they say that the EU is encouraging hatred when the government itself is the creator of hate speech, confrontation within society, polarization and radicalism? These people pursue this policy every day.

“It is irresponsible to try to blame others for what they themselves are destroying. People understand very well who, in reality, is encouraging hate speech in this country. This party is built on hate speech and confrontation within society. It is irresponsible for Shalva Papuashvili to accuse the EU of encouraging hate speech,” Sharashidze said.