Affiliated media: Rustavi 2, TV channel

Incident date: March 2, 2017

Attack type:

• Selective application of repressive laws

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: civil.ge

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi

Additional information:

The Supreme Court of Georgia ruled in favour of the former co-owner of Rustavi 2 TV, the country’s most-watched television broadcaster. Hundreds gathered in front of Rustavi 2 headquarters to show support for the television channel, just minutes after the Supreme Court’s decision. Broadcasting live from the studio and the TV headquarters non-stop until late night, Rustavi 2 featured a broad spectrum of opposition politicians and civic activists, who claimed that the Supreme Court’s decision was politically motivated and would harm the Georgian democracy. The United States Embassy issued a statement on March 2 saying that the U.S. “views with concern the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding Rustavi 2, which could effectively limit the access of opposition voices to Georgian broadcast media.”