Speaker says media should align with standards of civilized world

“The distorted perception that the media can say whatever it pleases must end, once and for all,” said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

According to the Speaker, whoever makes accusations and levels false charges must be held accountable.

“Two notions should not be misidentified: freedom of expression and slander. Slander is not justified by freedom of expression, nowhere. The distorted perception that the media can say whatever it pleases must end, once and for all. The media should align with the standards of the civilized world. Those who tell lies are held accountable in civilized countries.

This is not merely a standard of modern civilization; rather, it is how humanity is structured. Anyone who makes accusations or levels false charges must be held accountable and must prove the validity of their claims.

Media outlets, which disseminated slander, should provide evidence or truthful information. When it becomes clear to everyone that they had nothing, and that this was merely the product of a specific journalist’s or media outlet’s imagination, it will reveal the kind of journalism we are dealing with,” he said.

Davit Asatiani, lawyer of Bera Ivanishvili (son of Georgian Dream Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili), filed a lawsuit against TV Pirveli and Formula TV in the Tbilisi City Court. Bera Ivanishvili demands that the two TV companies retract the information disseminated about him.