“Cartu Bank,” 35% of which is owned by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son, Uta Ivanishvili, is suing “TV Pirveli” for defamation. The plaintiff demands that the channel not refer to the bank as “Ivanishvili’s” or “the oligarch’s” bank.
According to Nodari Meladze, head of TV Pirveli’s news department, the report that prompted the lawsuit was aired in a news broadcast and was based on a resolution of the European People’s Party (EPP), which called for Cartu Bank to be disconnected from the international payment system SWIFT.
“They are demanding that this report not be posted on online platforms. Apparently, this issue is problematic for the bank, and they are seeking a court ban on media use of terms like ‘Ivanishvili’s bank’ or ‘oligarch’s bank,’” Meladze told Netgazeti. He also noted that Cartu Bank is seeking only a denial of the facts presented in the report, not monetary compensation.
According to the Media Advocacy Coalition, this lawsuit represents another case of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP): “This case is another clear example of the targeted repressive policy toward the media conducted by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ‘Georgian Dream,’” the organization said in a statement.