A Georgian court sentenced journalist Vakho Sanaia to 30 days in jail on Monday for online comments critical of ruling party politicians. The ruling is part of a broader crackdown on "hate speech" that rights groups say threatens freedom of expression.
The prosecution of journalists for online criticism raises concerns about freedom of expression and the potential for authoritarian overreach in Georgia, impacting the country's democratic trajectory and its relationship with the European Union.
A court in Georgia sentenced journalist Vakho Sanaia to 30 days in jail on Monday for online comments critical of ruling party politicians. The ruling, reported by Interpress news agency, is part of a string of prosecutions for "hate speech" that rights groups say threaten press freedom. Sanaia, a journalist with the opposition channel Formula, had previously served a 14-day jail sentence in July for similar online criticism. The governing Georgian Dream party, in power since 2012, has been accused of clamping down on opposition figures since winning re-election in an October 2024 parliamentary vote. The government also established a body within the interior ministry to monitor public statements deemed to "violate/insult human dignity and contain hate speech."
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