Musician Maia Darsmelidze says Georgian Dream supporter Nino Jgharkava has sued her over Facebook posts.
Darsmelidze said she was contacted by the Department for Monitoring Freedom of Expression on Social Networks and informed that a court hearing had been scheduled.
“I cut the tape. The scrolling department contacted me. Jgharkava sued me. Aren’t you planning anything on July 10? 14:00, Hall 41 of the City Court,” Darsmelidze wrote on Facebook.
However, Nino Jgharkava says she has not officially filed a complaint against the musician.
“The new department started working and Ms. Darsmelidze was summoned to court. I did not officially file a complaint and did not write one. I tagged the Ministry of Internal Affairs here [Facebook] and the response was timely,” Jgharkava wrote.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Department for Combating Hate Speech began operating on June 1. The department says its primary task is to identify statements disseminated in the public sphere that allegedly infringe on human dignity or contain insults and may constitute an administrative offense.
The MIA says the department will proactively monitor publicly shared statements, identify alleged violators, and establish their identities.
The department will also prepare materials for administrative proceedings and draw up protocols before cases are sent to court for consideration.
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