TV presenter Vakho Sanaia has been sentenced to 14 days of administrative detention over Facebook posts that authorities said violated legislation on insulting public officials.
Judge Zviad Tsekvava delivered the ruling in Sanaia’s absence after considering an administrative case linked to two social media posts published on July 10.
The proceedings followed an earlier court decision the same day, when Judge Tornike Kochkiani fined Sanaia GEL 6,000 over Facebook posts concerning the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, and MP Vladimer (Lado) Bozhadze.
Following that ruling, Sanaia published two additional Facebook posts criticizing the decision and stating that he would not pay the fine. On July 18, he said the court had contacted him regarding those posts, which later became the basis for the latest administrative case.
Sanaia has previously been fined GEL 4,000 under legislation penalizing insults against public officials. He has publicly stated that he does not intend to pay the fines imposed on him.
The latest detention comes as authorities increasingly use administrative proceedings against critics over social media posts, following recent legislative changes expanding penalties for insulting public officials.
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