Official: Georgia takes more lenient approach to “hate speech” than Europe

Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs has said the country takes a more lenient approach to regulating “hate speech” compared with many European states.

Deputy Interior Minister Alexander Darakhvelidze made the remarks while discussing differences in legal frameworks between Georgia and European countries, Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

“In many European countries, such actions are punished very severely—including with prison terms of 2–3 years and heavy fines. In Germany, you can be jailed for 2 years for this; similar laws exist in Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, and France. In almost all countries, this involves criminal liability, whereas in Georgia, it is a matter of administrative liability,” Darakhvelidze said.

By Sabina Mammadli