The undersigned international press freedom organizations, journalists and human rights organizations strongly condemn the family values law recently passed in Georgia. This legislation imposes censorship on the media by banning broadcasters from freely reporting on LGBTQ+ issues. The Georgian government must stop its legal attacks on freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
On September 17th in the Georgian Parliament assumed The Family Values Bill passed third reading and 84 MPs voted in favor. The bill is part of a legislative package entitled “On Family Values and the Protection of Minors,” which proposes amendments to 18 existing laws, including the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression.
Initially introduced The bill, passed by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on June 4, 2024, contains provisions banning so-called “LGBT propaganda.” This package includes a primary bill and 18 accompanying bills proposing amendments to various legal acts, including the Civil Code, the Labor Code, the Broadcasting Law and the Law on General Education.
The most worrying section of the press freedom bill is Article 8, which specifically prohibits broadcasters from distributing content that “promotes identification with a gender other than one’s own biological sex or relationships between persons of the same biological sex based on sexual orientation.” This censorship measure is an extreme attack on the right to freedom of expression in Georgia and a blatant violation of international human rights standards.
The new changes included in the package also provide for fines. For the dissemination of confidential information, in addition to the confiscation of the “blocked materials”, fines of 1,000 GEL (approx. €350) for individuals and 3,000 GEL (approx. €1,050) for legal entities are imposed.
This bill will prevent journalists from freely reporting on LGBTQ+ issues and, in particular, from giving a voice to the LGBTQ+ community. Fear of prosecution will inevitably have a chilling effect and lead to self-censorship.
Additionally, the bill prohibits public gatherings or demonstrations that promote so-called “LGBT propaganda.” It also bans same-sex marriage, gender reassignment surgery, the adoption of children by non-heterosexuals and the promotion of same-sex relationships in schools.
The law's restrictions on media coverage of LGBTQ+ issues and public gatherings contradict the freedoms of expression, assembly and association enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia (Article 17, Article 21). Furthermore, they are incompatible with the principles of freedom of expression enshrined in international and European standards, including the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 10, Article 11). The Georgian Dream government must immediately stop its continued attacks on human rights, including freedom of the press and freedom of expression, which are the cornerstones of democracy.
Signatures:
International Press Institute (IPI)
The European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
ARTICLE 19 Europe
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
Committee to Protect Journalists
D84 Association/daktilo1984
Justice for Journalists Foundation (JFJ)
Media and Legal Studies Association (MLSA)
Southeast European Media Organization (SEEMO)
OC Media
Association of European Journalists in Belgium (AEJ Belgium)
Global Institute for Media Diversity
IMS (International Media Support)
Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Media April
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics (GCJE)
Journalism Resource Center
IFEX
Society of Journalists (Warsaw)
Censorship Index
Civil rights defender
This statement was coordinated by the Rapid response to media freedom (MFRR), a pan-European mechanism that tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries.
