Senator Jeanne Shaheen: “Georgian Dream’s campaign against truthful information is an attack on democracy”

US senator slams Georgian Dream

U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat and one of the co-authors of the MEGOBARI Act, issued a statement regarding the complaints filed by the Georgian Dream party with Georgia’s Communications Commission against the broadcasters Pirveli and Formula, as well as the news portal Main Channel.

According to Shaheen, Georgian Dream’s campaign against truthful information is an attack on democracy and further proof that the U.S. Senate must pass the MEGOBARI Act, which provides for sanctions against members of the Georgian government.

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Georgian Dream filed a complaint with the National Communications Commission over the broadcasters’ use of terms such as: “illegitimate parliament,” “so-called parliamentary speaker,” “regime city court,” “Georgian Dream regime,” “prisoner of the regime,” as well as references to the party’s honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili as an “oligarch.” In the party’s view, this constitutes a violation of certain regulatory provisions of the Law on Broadcasting.

“Independent media is the cornerstone of any democracy. When the Georgian Dream (GD) government amended the Broadcasting Law, it raised serious concerns that the law would be weaponized against independent Georgian voices.

Now, as the GD files complaints against independent media with the Georgian National Communications Commission—a body whose independence is itself a question—it’s clear these outlets won’t be judged on their journalistic standards, but rather targeted for political reasons. The GD’s crusade against truthful reporting is an attack on democracy.

That’s why I have called on the Senate take up our bipartisan MEGOBARI Act because supporting the Georgian people means holding the GD accountable for its attacks on press freedom and its democratic institutions,”  she said.

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On 6 May, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the MEGOBARI Act, which requires the President of the United States to impose sanctions on “Georgian officials who pose a threat to the security and stability of Georgia.” The bill now awaits approval by the Senate.