“Injustice will affect everyone” - opinion on restrictive laws in Georgia
“Injustice permeates the very air we breathe. If it hasn’t touched you yet—it will! By the time we start searching for independent media, it will be gone. By the time we look for a competent, impartial, and free lawyer, we won’t find one anymore,” said Londa Toloraia, founder of the Centre for the Rule of Law, voicing her opinion on restrictive laws in Georgia and its possible grim future.
According to her, the aim of the new restrictive laws and amendments passed by the Georgian Dream party is singular: to destroy anyone and anything that thinks, reasons, or acts differently.
“Those of you who still believe the authorities are acting in the country’s best interests or trying to prevent some kind of ‘illegal activity’ are gravely mistaken.
Since 2002, I’ve been studying legislation, and I can assure you—we’ve always had laws that prevent illegal acts.
These new laws are not about fighting lawlessness. Their purpose is to eliminate anyone who thinks, reasons, or acts differently,” Toloraia says.
According to Londa Toloraia, the goal of the Georgian Dream’s “hysterical ‘war’ on criticism” is to silence dissenting voices and prevent people from freely expressing their thoughts—even among friends and colleagues.
She suggests that those working in NGOs and the media, who are the primary targets of the restrictive laws, will likely persevere and find a way forward, as “they have the education, skills, and contacts, and they are not afraid of losing their jobs.” However, she warns that something far more important will be destroyed—the entire society will lose access to truthful information, free legal support, and other vital services previously provided by these now-persecuted organisations and media outlets.
