Opposition leader on new media law: “This is rapid move toward dictatorship”

Chairperson of United National Movement Tina Bokuchava has condemned the ruling party’s latest legislative initiatives, including the new media law, calling them an attempt to establish a dictatorship at high speed.

“This is a blatant move toward dictatorship. The government is following the path of the Kremlin, Yanukovych, and Lukashenko. Their strategic goal is to suffocate independent media. They have never hidden this agenda, and today, we are witnessing an unprecedented wave of repression and violence against critical journalists. A dictatorship cannot tolerate differing opinions, so they are using various legal tricks to effectively ban political parties in Georgia,” Bokuchava stated.

She emphasized the urgency of unity among different social and political groups, warning that anyone could become a target of political persecution.

“This is not the time for fragmentation, for dividing society into segments based on past disagreements or different perspectives. Now is the time for unity because tomorrow, any one of us could find ourselves in the defendant’s chair,” she added.

Ruling party Georgian Dream faction leader Mamuka Mdinaradze announced that a Media Law will soon be introduced, setting standards for media objectivity and journalistic ethics.