US charge d’affaires Nicholas Berliner told media.ge that„The United States Government believes that freedom of speech and press are the cornerstones of a robust democracy.  We and the international community have praised Georgia’s open media environment, which is a model for the region.  Therefore, developments that give the appearance of threatening media freedoms or compromising media pluralism are troubling. We are closely following the legal proceedings against Rustavi 2.  Any legal proceedings involving a media outlet must be conducted to the highest standards of judicial due process, and any actions that restrict a media outlet’s ability to work freely must be carefully considered.“