Activist Faces Fine Over Comment Aimed at Russian Propagandists
By Messenger Staff
Friday, September 11, 2026
Civil activist Tornike Razmadze says the Interior Ministry has opened an administrative case against him, and he disputes the ministry's account of who he insulted.
Razmadze says the Directorate for Combating Hate Speech, part of the ministry's Human Rights Protection Department, started proceedings against him over a comment he left under a Facebook video. The clip addressed remarks by Margarita Simonyan and Vladimir Solovyov, two Russian state media figures known for pro-Kremlin, anti-Georgian and anti-Ukrainian rhetoric. In the video, Simonyan referenced Georgian history and suggested Georgia would again submit to Russia, prompting Razmadze to record a response drawing a parallel between her comments and a briefing Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze gave on the subject of Russophobia. He left a comment containing explicit language and insults directed at Simonyan and the studio guests.
The ministry initially told Razmadze he was being charged under Article 166 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, which covers public insults and profanity, and can carry a fine of 500 to GEL 3,000 or up to 20 days of administrative detention. The directorate then told broadcaster TV Pirveli that the case in fact concerns an insult to Kobakhidze, not to Simonyan or Solovyov.
Razmadze rejects that framing. "It is clearly visible whom I am insulting, by quoting the same person, this is Margarita Simonyan and those who are in the studio," he said in a video statement, adding that he is charged under an article covering insults to private individuals rather than public officials. He argues the ministry paired his case with a separate comment from another Facebook user, Ana Bediani, who directly insulted Kobakhidze, in order to suggest a connection between the two cases. "This is a lie," he said, adding that he does not believe a case would have been opened against the other commenter at all had it not been linked to his.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has said it is pursuing both Razmadze and Bdeiani under Articles 166 and 173 as part of routine efforts to address public insults and profanity online.
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has called the case a form of censorship and urged the ministry to drop the proceedings. In a statement, the organization said the case disregards the political context of Razmadze's comment and its role in public discussion, and argued it creates a chilling effect specifically around criticism of Kremlin-aligned propaganda.
GYLA cited European Court of Human Rights precedent holding that vulgar language alone does not automatically constitute an insult or a disruption of public order, noting that courts must weigh whether an expression carries only stylistic weight and distinguish protected political speech from personal insult.
