Freedom of speech and expression is the foundation of a democratic state. However, when a state regulatory body turns into an instrument for carrying out political orders, that foundation crumbles. Transparency International Georgia has published a study clearly demonstrating how the authorities are attempting to suppress critical media and control the language used in public discourse.

This is not merely a matter of upholding journalistic standards; it is classic censorship, where the authorities seek to evade public accountability and forbid the media from articulating the reality in which the country lives. If a journalist is denied the right to refer to a political prisoner as a prisoner, or to describe oligarchic rule as an oligarchy, then the media ceases to exist—transforming instead into a propaganda mouthpiece. "The oligarch’s parliamentary speaker"

"TV channels controlled [by Ivanishvili]"
"The 'Dream's' judiciary"
"The 'Dream' is opting for dictatorship"
"The 'Dream' / 'Georgian Dream' regime"
"The judicial clan"
"The 'Dream's' Prime Minister" / "The 'Dream's' minister"
"The Communications Commission is acting as an open censor against critical media. At a session held on October 1, the Commission fined the TV channel 'Formula' for the third time—this time in the amount of 10,000 GEL—for using words and phrases deemed unacceptable by 'Georgian Dream.'

In total, over the past six months, the Commission has issued seven violation reports against critical TV channels—'TV Pirveli' and 'Formula'—for this reason. Following verbal warnings, fines initially stood at 2,500 and 5,000 GEL, but have now risen to 10,000 GEL.

Which words is the Commission taking issue with? A total of 93 prohibited words and phrases have been identified." These include: regime, prisoners of conscience, oligarch, police officers acting as false witnesses, political prisoners, Ivanishvili’s prime minister, unlawful detention, the "Georgian Dream" government, repressive laws, and the judicial clan.

The international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which defends press freedom and journalists' rights worldwide, has responded to the fining of TV Pirveli.

"TV Pirveli has been hit with a new fine for using terms such as 'oligarch'—deemed biased—while pro-government media freely use partisan language without facing any sanctions," the organization wrote on X.

"This double standard demonstrates that the Communications Commission is targeting independent media," the brief statement reads.

The organization states that it "demands equal treatment for all media outlets."

In May 2026, the Communications Commission fined Formula, a TV station critical of the government, 2,500 GEL. The Commission determined that phrases used by the journalists violated the Law on Broadcasting and that balance was not maintained in one of the programs.

"According to the report, phrases used by news anchors and journalists—such as 'Dream's Ministry of Internal Affairs,' 'Dream's Minister of Health,' 'pro-government Rustavi 2,' and others—constitute news coverage based on the broadcaster's personal opinion when considering the context and frequency of their use; this contravenes the Law on Broadcasting," stated a representative of the Communications Commission, who then presented a proposal to sanction the TV channel.

In June 2026, the Communications Commission found *TV Pirveli*—a channel critical of the government—in violation of the law for using terms such as "prisoners of conscience," "police officers giving false testimony," "Dream's investigation," "oligarch," "non-existent crime," and so forth. "It is impermissible for a broadcaster to express a position supporting or opposing any political party, civic or religious association, or other interest group within news and socio-political programs," the Commission states.

Nodar Meladze, Head of the News Service at "TV Pirveli," characterizes this decision by the Communications Commission as censorship. According to him, the terms journalists use in news broadcasts are established international standards.

The measures employed against critical media outlets have become increasingly severe over time. The process began with mandatory warnings, escalated to fines of 2,500 and 5,000 GEL, and has now reached a maximum of 10,000 GEL. The article assesses this trend as an attempt to financially blockade and economically weaken the media. The argument holds that when journalists are deprived of the right to use terminology that reflects the country's political reality, the media loses its democratic function and effectively becomes a propaganda tool for the authorities.

The non-governmental sector and media rights advocates believe that the Communications Commission has overstepped its legal mandate. Instead of upholding broadcasting quality and ethical standards, it is acting on political orders and attempting to eliminate narratives deemed undesirable by the ruling team.

This specific regulation does not apply to online media. The official authority of the Communications Commission (ComCom) and the aforementioned sanctions extend only to broadcasters (television and radio stations) that are regulated by...

...under the Law on Broadcasting.

The so-called "Russian Law" directly applies to the vast majority of online media outlets that rely on independent donor funding. It mandates their registration in a special registry—a measure viewed by the civil sector and international observers as a tool for stigmatizing and financially restricting independent media.

Consequently, "ExpressNews" uses—and will continue to use—all the terms that "Georgian Dream" dislikes so much.