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 Freedom of Expression Monitoring Division on social networks, created by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s initiative, began operating on June 1.
The unit is tasked with monitoring and proactively identifying offensive or insulting statements on social media or in media outlets that may constitute administrative offenses under Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offenses.
Opposition figures and critics of the ruling Georgian Dream party say the move amounts to an attempt to restrict freedom of expression under the pretext of tackling hate speech.
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