Georgia to set up police unit monitoring ‘hate speech’ online

Georgia’s Interior Ministry plans to launch a special unit from 1 June to monitor so-called “hate speech” and “aggressive communication” in public spaces and on social media, a deputy interior minister has said.

Speaking in an interview with the television channel Rustavi 2, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said the new body will be established within the ministry’s Human Rights Protection Department, News.Az reports, citing News Georgia.

He said its main task would be to identify instances of “hate speech”, “violation of human dignity” and other forms of communication that authorities consider to be unlawful.

“The unit will identify every case where there is hate speech and a violation of the dignity of specific individuals, if it falls under actions prohibited by law,” Darakhvelidze said.

He stressed that the structure would operate within the framework of existing legislation, although authorities have not yet set out clear criteria defining what would constitute “hate speech” or “offensive communication”.

The creation of the new unit was first announced on 18 May, when Vice Prime Minister and State Security Coordination Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze said it would carry out “systematic monitoring” of social media and public discourse. He added that it would be empowered to respond not only to citizen complaints but also initiate proceedings on its own initiative.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has described the initiative as part of efforts to counter what he called “artificially imposed polarisation”, which he said had trapped society in a “cycle of hatred”.

“When someone imposes hatred on you, you are also forced to respond,” Kobakhidze said on Imedi TV on Wednesday. He added that the new unit would help “free” society from this atmosphere, and that any sanctions would be applied “in proportion to the violation”.

News.Az