Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili responded to reports concerning the one-year suspension of TV company “Imedi’s” accreditation at the European Parliament, stating that the ruling team will discuss whether to apply similar rules in Georgia.

Papuashvili’s statement points to a potential further tightening of rules for media access to the Parliament. This comes against the backdrop of recent and repeated restrictions on journalist accreditation in the Georgian Parliament, including those introduced in January 2026.

“We saw it in the European Parliament, we’ve seen other countries too; the most lenient rules are the ones introduced here. Now you see what the European Parliament’s rule actually entails. We will definitely consider whether or not to apply those same rules here,” Papuashvili stated.

He assessed the European Parliament’s decision as a step taken “against free media” and remarked that “Brussels is replacing the Soviet Union step by step.”

TV company “Imedi,” which was recently sanctioned by the UK for spreading Russian disinformation, claims that the European Parliament has banned its operations for a year. Meanwhile, Moldova denied accreditation to three pro-government channels—”Imedi,” “Rustavi 2,” and “POSTV”—to cover the 135th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.