In the context of the appropriation of state institutions by the government of “Georgian Dream,” a number of public agencies have, for years, been systematically employed to persecute and discredit specific groups. Among these is the Communications Commission, which has long served as an instrument for sanctioning and silencing critical broadcasters. In this process, the ruling party has been actively supported by commission members selected on the basis of partisan affiliation and loyalty.

Accordingly, it is important to remind the public who the former and current members of the Communications Commission are, on what grounds they have been appointed, and what ties connect them to the “Georgian Dream.”

• What Role Does the Commission Play in Practice?

According to the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting, the Communications Commission is a regulatory body in the telecommunications sector, independent of all branches of government. Its mandate is to protect consumer rights in this field and to act as an impartial arbiter, free from political influence and bias. The Commission is a collegial body composed of five commissioners (including the chairperson), and decisions are adopted by a simple majority vote.

Despite this legally defined neutral status, the Communications Commission is staffed by commissioners loyal to the ruling party, and its decisions are, as a rule, adopted unanimously and in alignment with the interests of the governing team. Overall, due to a pattern of decisions favorable to the authorities, as well as a number of controversial initiatives aimed at restricting critical opinion in the country, there have for years been legitimate concerns and questions regarding the activities of the Commission and its members. In practice, evidence suggests that the Commission is used by the government as a punitive instrument against critical media, with a significant role played by commissioners selected on the basis of partisan loyalty.

In this regard, the nine-year tenure of Kakha Bekauri as Chair of the Commission stands out as particularly noteworthy (for more details on Bekauri, please follow the link). During this period, the Commission adopted numerous problematic decisions against critical broadcasters, causing them significant harm both financially and in terms of freedom of expression. It was precisely Bekauri’s support for, and participation in, a systemic repressive policy directed against independent media that led to his being sanctioned by Ukraine and Lithuania. Furthermore, in February 2025, the European Parliament, in its resolution on Georgia, called for sanctions against members of Georgian Dream and affiliated elites, including Kakha Bekauri.

Bekauri’s heavy legacy has been assumed by Goga Gulordava, a former majoritarian member of parliament from Georgian Dream. Consequently, expectations - and concerns - have intensified that the Communications Commission will fall even further under partisan influence, enabling the authorities to attempt to paralyze critical broadcasters by imposing substantial financial sanctions through the Commission. These concerns are further reinforced by amendments to the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting adopted last year, which significantly expanded the Commission’s authority and granted it additional levers to intervene in and exercise control over broadcasters’ content.

That these risks are real is further evidenced by a statement issued by the Communications Commission on 6 March, under the new chairmanship. In this statement, the Commission openly expressed support for two pro-government, propagandistic television channels - “Imedi” and “POSTV” - both of which have been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, and emphasized that such sanctions are “aimed at restricting fair competition among mass media outlets, as well as at hindering the professional activities of journalists.” At the same time, the Commission warned broadcasters critical of the Georgian Dream government that it would fully enforce the repressive legislative amendments adopted last year against independent media. These measures include, as sanctions, financial penalties, suspension of broadcasting, or revocation of licenses.

The Commission acted on its warning on 8 April, issuing written notices to critical broadcasters “TV Pirveli” and “Formula.” The Commission accused the broadcasters of violating Articles 52 and 54 of the Law on Broadcasting on account of their use of terms and phrases such as “Regime,” “Dream’s Prosecutor’s Office,” “Oligarch’s Team,” “Dream Government,” “Ivanishvili’s Prime Minister,” “Ivanishvili’s MP,” “Georgian Dream Police,” “So-Called Education Reform,” "A Night of Hunting Down Activists,” and others. In the event of each subsequent such “violation,” the television channels face the risk of financial sanctions, as well as the suspension or revocation of their broadcasting licenses.

Moreover, this decision by the Commission sets an alarming precedent with regard to freedom of speech and expression and effectively imposes direct censorship. Accordingly, the decision violates the Constitution of Georgia and the European Convention on Human Rights, and stands in contradiction to a range of international standards, as well as to numerous precedents established by the European Court of Human Rights.

• What Do We Know About the New Chair of the Commission?

Goga Gulordava was approved by Parliament as a member of the Communications Commission for a six-year term in December 2025. He began his duties on 26 January 2026 and was subsequently elected Chair of the Commission for a three-year term on 29 January. Alongside Gulordava, two other candidates had also sought membership in the Communications Commission: Vladimer Tatishvili, former Director of the Public Broadcaster’s Adjara Television and Radio, and Ilia Mikhelaishvili, the owner of 100% of the company “Prime Media Global” LLC, which in turn holds a 50% stake in “Georgian Media Production Group” LLC - the company that owns “Imedi,” a pro-government broadcaster sanctioned by the United Kingdom.

Gulordava replaced Kakha Bekauri as Chair of the Communications Commission, who had led the body for three consecutive terms since 2017 and left behind a legacy widely regarded as damaging in the context of media freedom. During his tenure, the Commission increasingly became an auxiliary instrument of the Georgian Dream government’s punitive policy, effectively fulfilling a role in the targeting of critical broadcasters (for more details on Bekauri, please follow the link).

Prior to joining the Commission, Gulordava worked at the sanctioned broadcaster “Imedi” between 2023 and 2025, where he was engaged in financial monitoring and internal audit activities. From 2020 to 2025, he also held positions at the Georgian State Electrosystem, first as an advisor to the Director General and later as Director of Internal Audit. His professional involvement and connection with the telecommunications and media sector are limited to these roles, as well as his earlier work as a legal advisor at “Media Alliance” LLC between 2009 and 2011.

Gulordava, who under the law is expected to function as an independent arbiter free from political bias, served as a majoritarian member of the Parliament of Georgia for the constituencies of Tsalenjikha and Chkhorotsku from 2016 to 2020, representing the Georgian Dream party. Earlier, from 2013 to 2016, he held the position of Governor (Gamgebeli) of Tsalenjikha Municipality, also representing Georgian Dream. During the 2021 local self-government elections, Gulordava was the Georgian Dream candidate for Mayor of Tsalenjikha Municipality; however, he was defeated in the second round by opposition candidate Gia Kharchilava.

In the past, Gulordava has had issues with the justice system. In 2007, he was arrested on charges of abuse of official authority and was released several months later. At the time, he was serving as Chief Inspector at the Real Sector and Privatization Department of the State Control Chamber of Georgia. His conviction has since been expunged. Gulordava’s name also appeared in a 2022 investigation by Transparency International Georgia concerning questionable public procurement practices in Tsalenjikha Municipality. The study focused on the procurement of transportation services for public school students in Tsalenjikha, where one of the co-owners of the contracted company had previously worked in Gulordava’s parliamentary office during his tenure as an MP.

It is also noteworthy that in November 2018, Gulordava’s father, Gia Gulordava, was arrested on charges of accepting a large bribe while serving as Deputy Mayor of Zugdidi, together with the former Mayor of Zugdidi, Lasha Gogia. The court sentenced them to two years of imprisonment each, along with a four-year suspended sentence. They were released early in April 2020. At the time, Gulordava, who was serving as a Member of Parliament, stated that he had no grounds to distrust the investigation.

• What Do We Know About the Other Members of the Commission?

As for the remaining members of the Commission, the positions were held by Vakhtang Abashidze, Natia Kukuladze, Ekaterine Imedadze, and Ivane Makharadze (for more details on them, please follow the link). Among them, Abashidze’s term of office has expired. In order to select Abashidze’s replacement, the government announced a competition on 11 February, 100 days prior to the expiration of his mandate. A total of four candidates expressed interest in becoming members of the Commission: Ani Vazagashvili, Giorgi Elisashvili, Solomon Ekvtimishvili, and Ioseb Abuladze. Three of these candidates were employees of pro-government television channels. Namely:

• Ani Vazagashvili - was the Head of the Legal Department at the pro-government television channel “Imedi,” and also served as Head of the Legal Service at the pro-government broadcaster “Maestro.” Prior to this, she worked as a Senior Specialist/Lawyer in the Legal Support and Administrative Proceedings Division of the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
• Giorgi Elisashvili - has served as Financial Director of the pro-government television channel “GDS” since 2013. Prior to that, he worked at “Kartu Bank,” which is associated with the Ivanishvili family.
• Solomon Ekvtimishvili - has served as Head of the Financial Department at the pro-government “Media Holding” since 2025 to the present.

As for Ioseb Abuladze, he has served as Head of the Internal Audit Service at “Ghia Guli – University Hospital” LLC from 2016 to the present. Among these candidates, on 15 April, Parliament approved Ani Vazagashvili as a new member of the Commission for a six-year term. She will replace Vakhtang Abashidze on the Commission.

It is a deeply concerning situation when complaints against broadcasters critical of the Georgian Dream government’s repressive policies are reviewed by individuals openly affiliated with Georgian Dream and its pro-government propaganda media, and when decisions are made in line with a partisan agenda. This became particularly evident on 8 April, when the Commission issued written warnings to broadcasters, thereby taking a significant step toward the imposition of censorship in the country.