In Georgia, three TV channels were fined for refusing to broadcast a video with footage of Ukraine

A court in Tbilisi has fined three Georgian TV channels for refusing to air a political video by the ruling Georgian Dream party. The video contrasts footage of buildings destroyed by the war in Ukraine with undamaged buildings in Georgia. This was reported by Formula, according to UNN.

Details

The Tbilisi City Court fined the TV channels  Formula, Main Channel and First TV Channel 5000 GEL for not airing a propaganda video from the Georgian Dream.

The court granted the petition of the Communications Commission, and now the TV channels are obliged to immediately comply with the decision and air political advertising.

Recall

Three opposition TV channels in Georgia refused to broadcast the ruling party's election advertisements with footage of the destruction in Ukraine. They were threatened with heavy fines that could have led to the suspension of the channels' operations.

EU Ambassador to Georgia  Paweł Gerczynski called the posters of the “Georgian Dream” with the ruins of Ukrainian cities outrageous and shameful. He emphasized that peace in Georgia and the EU was achieved at the cost of the sacrifices of the Ukrainian people.

“Georgian Dream criticized the EU Ambassador for condemning the use of images of destroyed Ukrainian cities in election campaigning. The party considers this interference in the election campaign.

The Georgian Prime Minister statedthat election banners with ruins in Ukraine “exposed the truth”. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned this statement as unfriendly, calling it an attempt to drag Ukraine into Georgia's internal political processes.