WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement following the Georgian Dream government’s plan to use the Georgian National Communications Commission to target TV Formula, TV Pirveli and TV Mtavari.
“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.”
Earlier this year, Ranking Member Shaheen and Senator Risch (R-ID), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced the Mobilizing and Enhancing Georgia’s Options for Building Accountability, Resilience and Independence (MEGOBARI) Act. This bipartisan legislation supports the people of Georgia as their government continues its violent assaults on peaceful protestors and reaffirms U.S. support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
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