Court Fines GD Critics over Facebook Posts ‘Insulting’ Ruling Party MPs

Multiple Georgian Dream critics, including opposition politicians, journalists, and activists, have been fined for Facebook posts that a court deemed “insults” to ruling party MPs.

The cases follow a complaint filed by the GD parliamentary faction with the Interior Ministry regarding critical social media content, some of which includes swear words. The ruling party’s lawsuit has fueled fears of “mass censorship.”

The Tbilisi City Court, which began hearing the cases on June 12, has since issued around a dozen fines ranging from GEL 3,000 to 4,000 (approximately USD 1,100 to 1,500), finding GD critics guilty of insulting public officials, which became an administrative offense under the controversial legislative amendments rushed through the one-party parliament in February.

The law also provides for a fine or up to 45 days of detention as a penalty. But Nino Tsilosani, a Georgian Dream lawmaker featured in the GD’s complaint, predicted before the court hearings that no one would get arrested. “There is an administrative fine for this, and the appropriate fine will teach everyone to know politeness and culture in an elementary way,” Tsilosani told journalists on June 12.

Other GD MPs most frequently referenced in the social media lawsuits are Mariam Lashkhi, Tea Tsulukiani, and Mamuka Mdinaradze.

Journalist Dea Mamiseishvili was among the first to be fined, with the court ordering her to pay GEL 3,000 for calling Georgian Dream MP Mamuka Mdinaradze a “bastard” and “scum” in a social media post.

TV Pirveli anchor Ekaterine Mishveladze was fined GEL 4,000 for sharing a photo of an inscription that read, “Mariam Lashkhi — Russian Slave,” spray-painted on the entrance wall of the MP’s apartment block. She captioned the Facebook post with the comment “the slave was told, even in her own home, who she is.”

Activist Mariam Geguchadze was fined GEL 3,000 (USD 1,100) for calling MP Mariam Lashkhi “shameful,” “immoral,” “delulu,” and “repulsive,” among others.

For calling MP Mariam Lashkhi a “traitor” and a “modern Bolshevik,” activist Giorgi Tumasyan was fined GEL 4,000. Tumasyan had lashed out at the MP after the court sent two students to the 12-day administrative detention following a lawsuit by Lashkhi.

Activist Ana Subeliani got a GEL 4,000 fine for calling MP Nino Tsilosani “scum” and a “disgrace of a woman” on Facebook.

Opposition politicians Aleko Elisashvili of the Citizens party and Tamar Chergoleishvili of the Federalist party have also been given GEL 4,000 fines. Elisashvili called MP Lasha Talakhadze, a three-time Olympic champion in weightlifting, “repulsive biomass” in a Facebook post. Chergoleishvili, who did not appear at the court, was found guilty of “insulting” MPs Mamuka Mdinaradze and Tea Tsulukiani.

Rulings are pending for several others, including TV personality Nanuka Zhorzholiani, Formula TV anchor Vakho Sanaia, and politicians Levan Khabeishvili of the United National Movement and Elene Khoshtaria of the Droa party.

The fines, however, appear to have only fueled social media ridicule of GD politicians. MP Mariam Lashkhi has been featured most often with Facebook users sharing rebus-style memes that use her photo to represent the word “slave” as part of a larger word formed by combining it with other letter segments.

Also Read:

• 12/06/2025 – Salome Zurabishvili Fined for “Blocking Road”
• 06/06/2025 – Activist Sent to Ten-Day Detention Amid Claims Arrest Linked to GD Flag Burning