U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement following the Georgian Dream government’s plan to use the Georgian National Communications Commission to target TV Formula, TV Pirveli and TV Mtavari.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen calls on the Senate to take up the bipartisan MEGOBARI Act to hold the Georgian Dream party accountable for its attacks on press freedom and its democratic institutions.

“Independent media is the cornerstone of any democracy. When the Georgian Dream (GD) government amended the Broadcasting Law, it raised serious concerns that the law would be weaponized against independent Georgian voices. Now, as the GD files complaints against independent media with the Georgian National Communications Commission—a body whose independence is itself a question—it’s clear these outlets won’t be judged on their journalistic standards, but rather targeted for political reasons.

The GD’s crusade against truthful reporting is an attack on democracy. That’s why I have called on the Senate take up our bipartisan MEGOBARI Act because supporting the Georgian people means holding the GD accountable for its attacks on press freedom and its democratic institutions,” reads the statement.