GYLA: “New law amendments remove key free speech protections in Georgia”
Restriction of freedom of speech in Georgia
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) calls the recent amendments to the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression repressive and predicts that, like other similar legislative initiatives, these amendments will also be used by the ruling Georgian Dream party against citizens and critical media.
What amendments are being discussed?
On June 27, 2025, the Georgian Dream Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression, initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party, according to which:
- The provision requiring the initiator of any restriction on freedom of speech to prove the relevance of the measure is canceled, and any doubts that cannot be proven according to the law are to be resolved in favor of protecting freedom of speech;
- In defamation cases in court, the burden of proof has shifted to the defendant;
- The definition of defamation has been clarified to include public insults;
- The time frame for reviewing defamation cases has been reduced from one month to 10 days.
According to GYLA, these amendments effectively abolish important guarantees of freedom of speech.
“The new amendments are yet another example of the Georgian Dream’s repressive policy aimed at restricting freedom of speech, political discourse, pluralism, media, and civil society,” the organization stated.
We also remind that recently new rules have been introduced in Georgia, significantly restricting journalists’ ability to conduct photo and video recording in courtrooms, corridors, and in front of court buildings. This has been perceived as another attempt to hinder the work of independent media, which actively cover trials of people arrested for their political beliefs.
News in Georgia
