Lawyer fined in Georgia for "hate speech"

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A Tbilisi court fined lawyer Shota Tutberidze 4,000 lari for a comment on social media. The complaint was filed by the Department for Combating Hate Speech.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on June 12, musician Maia Darsmelidze, known for her criticism of the ruling Georgian Dream party, announced that an administrative case had been opened against her. She received the corresponding notification on Thursday from the newly created department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, responsible for monitoring "hate speech".

Shotaberidze's lawyer was fined four thousand lari (approximately one and a half thousand dollars) by the court for a comment addressed to Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Nino Tsiloshani, Georgia-Online reported on June 15.

The complaint against Tutberidze was filed with the court by employees of the Department for Combating "Hate Speech" of the Human Rights Protection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. The case was opened under Part 1 of Article 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia, which deals with verbal insult of an official.

On May 18, State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies Mamuka Mdinaradze announced plans to create a special unit at a briefing. According to the official, the new unit will begin work "as soon as possible" and will monitor all types and channels of public communication for incitement to hatred, hostility, insults, and "other similar actions."

It should be noted that lawyer Shota Tutberidze defended in court the participants in the protests in Tbilisi, Russian citizens Artem Gribul and Anastasia Zinovkina, one of the leaders of the "Coalition for Change" Elena Khoshtaria, student Mega Diasamidze, accused of damaging the election banner of the "Georgian Dream", opera singer Paatu Burchuladze.