Tbilisi Mayor: Hate speech is not path to proper dialogue; new dedicated MIA division will yield results

“No right-minded person condones profanity and mutual insults,” declared Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze when questioned by the media regarding the prevalence of hate speech on social networks.

He further asserted that, backed by substantial financial investment, the promotion of such behaviour is being orchestrated and imposed from abroad.

“If we look at the trend, the weaponisation of hate speech, polarisation, attempts to stir up confrontation, instigate revolutions, and the creation and encouragement of violent groups, all of this is being imposed upon us from the outside. Over the years, hundreds of millions of USD have been poured into these activities,” Kaladze noted.

The Mayor explained that a dedicated Interior Ministry division has been established to address this issue, and it is expected to deliver tangible results.

“Hate speech is not the right way to communicate. You may dislike someone, or find their work unacceptable, but that does not give anyone the right to subject them to physical or verbal abuse. This is precisely why a dedicated agency has been set up to work in this area. It will take some time, but we will undoubtedly see concrete results,” Kakha Kaladze stated.