Three TV channels were fined in Georgia for refusing to air an election video by the Georgian Dream party featuring footage of buildings destroyed by the Russian war in Ukraine, BBC reports.

 

Three Georgian TV channels recognized the videos that appeared on the streets of Tbilisi a month before the parliamentary elections as immoral and refused to broadcast them.

 

The Georgian TV channels Formula, Mtavari Archi, and TV Pirveli were punished for this, being fined 5,000 GEL each (about $1,800).

 

The decision was made on October 11 by the Tbilisi City Court on the basis of an administrative offense report drawn up by the National Communications Commission of Georgia, which recognized the TV channels as violators of the electoral code.

 

Reportedly, the ruling Georgian Dream party filed a complaint against the TV channels with the commission.

 

The video uses black-and-white footage of destroyed and burning buildings, infrastructure and cities in Ukraine with the words “No to War!”. Opposite them are color images of similar new and renovated buildings in Georgia with the slogan “Choose Peace”.

 

According to Tamta Muradashvili, a lawyer for the Mtavari Arch TV channel, the court also granted the commission’s request for immediate execution of the first instance decision. Therefore, the TV channels are obliged to immediately air the video, regardless of whether the decision is appealed in the court of appeal.