The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia states that since the establishment of the Department for Combating Hate Speech on June 1 of this year, about 60 cases have been referred to courts of general jurisdiction. Thirty of these are under review, and final rulings have been issued in seven.
The first final ruling in such cases was issued on June 12 by a magistrate judge in Oni.
The ministry explained that the department’s goal is to monitor and identify statements in the public space that insult human dignity or contain signs of hate speech, which may fall under the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia, as well as to ensure an appropriate legal response in the manner prescribed by law.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also stated that the review of cases referred by the Department for Combating Hate Speech to courts of general jurisdiction continues on a daily basis.
“Accordingly, information on ongoing court proceedings and their outcomes will be provided to the public in stages,” the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia stated.
