Ruling party head claims bill regulating hate speech, incitement to terrorism an “EU directive”

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday reacted to controversy over planned amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, aimed at “preventing hate speech and incitement to terrorism” by claiming the bill, approved by the Parliament in its first reading this week, was a “directive of the European Union”. 

The lawmaker said the GD-proposed bill, which extends the power of the National Communications Commission in regulating hate speech and incitement to terrorism, was one of three legal pieces sent to the bloc for opinion and “approved” by EU structures.

His comments came as the domestic Media Advocacy Coalition warned the “concentration of additional power” in the hands of the regulatory body could “potentially lead to abuse”. 

[The ruling power] has no political interest, it is the directive of the EU that is being fulfilled. We have proposed three options and this option was chosen [by the EU]”, Kobakhidze told the press. 

The bill says it aims at creating an “effective mechanism to prevent the spread of programmes and commercials with hate speech and incitement to terrorism”. It also allows appeal of decisions on violation of the norm in programming or advertising with the Communications Commission.

It also notes media service providers will be warned in cases of initial violations, and will be fined in cases of repeat violations within a year from the warning in the amount of 0.5 percent of their income in the preceding year, but not less than ₾2,500 ($919). The fine will be increased in cases of continuous violations, the amendments also say.