Georgia - October 2023

Georgia’s parliament passed amendments to the country’s broadcasting law on 20 October to bring it in line with the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive as part of its EU accession process. While the EU Ambassador praised the amendments, local and international civil society have condemned them, as the grant regulatory authority to the Georgian National Communications Commission, an institution seen by experts and rights watchdogs as insufficiently independent from the government. Organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Transparency International – Georgia worry the new law will be used to target media critical of the government.

Sources: OC Media, JAM News, Committee to Protect Journalists