Tornike Razmadze Fined GEL 3,000 in Case over Insult to Simonyan

Judge Nino Enukidze fined activist and blogger Tornike Razmadze GEL 3,000 on the grounds of petty hooliganism, namely cursing in public space. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) had requested the maximum amount of the fine.

The case concerns a comment posted on social media which, according to Razmadze, was directed at Kremlin propagandist Margarita Simonyan. The MIA and senior officials of Georgian Dream presented the comment as an attack on Irakli Kobakhidze and the Georgian Dream government.

Razmadze wrote the comment under his own post, a video published on social networks on August 18, in which he compared statements by Simonyan and Kobakhidze. In the comment he used a quote from Simonyan ("на коленях"), which, by his own explanation, was meant to insult Simonyan and Vladimir Solovyov. The blogger says he is critical of Kobakhidze and Georgian Dream, but in this comment he meant only Russian propagandists.

At the hearing Razmadze said: "If I wanted to insult Kobakhidze, about whom I have no better opinion than about Simonyan, I would say, your Georgievsk treaty is this and that. I repeated Simonyan's words and my words were directed at her." According to him, the problem is the law itself, which says nothing about insulting a citizen of a foreign country.

Before the decision was announced, MIA representative Mariam Kereselidze presented additional evidence: another post by Razmadze, which he published after the previous hearing. According to Kereselidze, Razmadze is deliberately continuing the violation. In her words: "It has become a general pattern of behaviour for Mr. Tornike Razmadze to publish such comments in public space".

The case also included statements submitted by Razmadze in which Shalva Papuashvili and Archil Gordeladze insult him. Razmadze said this proves the case is politically motivated. The case file also contains information spread by Russian media that the Georgian blogger is being prosecuted for insulting Simonyan.

Consideration of the case in court began on September 29. Razmadze attended without a lawyer and left the hearing after the judge clarified that the case concerned petty hooliganism, not insulting an official. Shalva Papuashvili called Razmadze an emotionally damaged person with emotional crises; Razmadze described this as stigmatizing problems related to mental health.

Razmadze is charged under Article 166, which provides for a fine from GEL 500 to GEL 3,000 or administrative detention for up to 20 days. After the decision Razmadze wrote: "I was fined 3,000 lari for insulting Margarita Simonyan. But, on the other hand, after this it is open season: the mothers of the occupiers, "na kalenyakh", and others who insult our history and culture!"