Interior Ministry’s Anti-‘Hate-Speech’ Division Starts Operating with Ten Staffers
Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said on June 1 that a newly established Division for Combating Hate Speech tasked with monitoring and detecting alleged hate-speech offenses has begun operating with an initial staff of ten people within the ministry’s Human Rights Protection Department.
According to the ministry, “the main function and duties of the division will be to monitor and proactively detect publicly disseminated statements that violate/insult human dignity and contain hate speech, which contain signs of violations under the Administrative Offenses Code of Georgia.”
The division will also be responsible for identifying alleged offenders, establishing their identities, preparing administrative case materials, drafting offense reports, and forwarding cases to courts in accordance with jurisdictional rules, the ministry said in a statement.
The division will operate “within the legislative framework already in force in the country,” the press release read.
The head of the newly established division will be Tamta Kimbarishvili, a lawyer who represented the Ministry of Internal Affairs in numerous administrative cases related to anti-government protests. In June 2025, she was among a group of ministry lawyers awarded certificates of appreciation by then-Interior Minister Geka Geladze for their “conscientious performance of official duties and high professionalism.”
Kimbharishvili was also involved in a case that drew public attention after a citizen was fined over a social media comment about her. On June 24, 2025, Tbilisi City Court Judge Lela Tsagareishvili fined Diana Gogoladze GEL 2,500 [USD 936] over a Facebook comment about Kimbarishvili.
The case stemmed from an April 27, 2025 Facebook post by Labour Party member Lasha Chkhartishvili, who published Kimbarishvili’s photo and described her as a “servile executioner, sadist and potential murderer.” Gogoladze was fined after posting an offensive comment under the post, following a complaint filed by Kimbarishvili.
The establishment of the division follows a May 18 announcement by Mamuka Mdinaradze, Georgian Dream State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies, who said the initiative was aimed at combating hate speech while safeguarding freedom of expression.
The move comes as critics of the ruling Georgian Dream government have been repeatedly fined and detained over statements authorities deemed insulting toward police or public officials, including comments made on social media. Human rights observers and government critics have voiced concerns about the initiative, describing it as a censorship mechanism that could further restrict freedom of expression.
Last updated on June 1 to include details about the head of the division and a previous case involving a fine over a social media comment.
Also Read:
- 20/05/2026 – ECtHR Finds No Violation of Freedom of Expression in Georgian Activist’s Viral TikTok Case
- 18/04/2026 – Ivanishvili’s Son Laments ‘Violence’, ‘Polarization’, Calls for ‘Discussion, Debate’
- 09/07/2025 – Activist Jailed for Five Days Over “Insult” in Facebook Comment
- 12/06/2025 – Politicians, Journalists, Activists Summoned to Court Over Social Media “Insults” to GD MPs
- 06/06/2025 – Georgian Dream to Sue Critics Over “Insults” on Social Media