The US State Department has commented on Rustavi 2"s casecourt judgment .

Press Secretary John Kirby said that Washington welcomed calm and restraint of all parties’ reactions to the initial ruling and would continue to monitor developments in any appeals process in the future following this initial ruling by the Tbilisi city court.

"Freedom of the media and independence of the judiciary are essential foundations of any democracy, and in particular remain critical to Georgia’s successful Euro-Atlantic integration. And again, this was discussed at the plenary session Monday, and I think you can fully expect that it will continue to be something we raise repeatedly,"-said John Kirby