Interference with professional duties | Persecution based on professional grounds
Incident Type:
InterferenceProhibition on filmingVerbal attackVerbal insult
A police officer in Gori obstructed journalist Giorgi Akhalkatsi in the course of his journalistic work
On July 29, 2025, Gori police officer Ioseb Gagnidze aggressively confronted journalist Giorgi Akhalkatsi, who was attempting to film ongoing investigative actions in Gori, and obstructed his work.
“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.
The leadership of the Public Broadcaster shut down two more projects and dismissed seven journalists
On July 25, 2025, it was announced that the Public Broadcaster’s Channel One would close the program “This Weekend.” The channel’s management offered the program’s team producers, journalists, and hosts positions in other programs. Otherwise, they were informed that their cooperation with the channel would end.
The head of the Tbilisi City Court’s bailiffs threatened the editor of ‘Publika’ with accountability before the law
On July 22, 2025, the head of the Tbilisi City Court’s bailiff service, Davit Matiashvili, threatened Zurab Vardiashvili, editor of the publication Publika, with accountability before the law over video recording. Vardiashvili was attempting to document how the bailiff service forcibly removed a member of an opposition party from the court building.
The Revenue Service has imposed a lien on the bank accounts of Batumelebi
On July 21, 2025, it was announced that Georgia's Revenue Service had frozen the bank accounts of the media outlet Batumelebi. According to the organization, while the official reason given was debt, they believe the true intention is to shut down the media outlet.
The Revenue Service has placed a lien on the accounts of the publication ‘Batumelebi’
On July 21, 2025, it became known that the Revenue Service had placed a lien on the accounts of the publication Batumelebi. According to the organization, the official reason is debt, but the real reason is the intention to shut down the media organization.
Pro-government/Propaganda television station “Imedi”
Persecution for expressing critical position
Incident Type:
DiscreditingVerbal attack
The pro-government television channel “Imedi” continues to discredit independent journalists and media outlets
The television channel “Imedi,” controlled by the Georgian Dream party, criticized Al Jazeera’s report on Georgia during its weekly talk show Imedi Week and referred to independent and critical Georgian media and journalists as politically biased.
The Minister of Education insulted journalists in response to a critical question
On July 17, 2025, Givi Mikanadze, Minister of Education, Science, and Youth of the ruling Georgian Dream party, called journalists “ridiculous” and “pathetic” in response to a question about his doctoral degree.
The Minister of Education insulted journalists in response to a critical question
On July 17, 2025, the Minister of Education, Science, and Youth from “Georgian Dream,” Givi Mikanadze, called journalists “ridiculous” and “powerless” in response to a question regarding his doctoral degree.
“Georgian Dream” Prime Minister Spreads Disinformation Against Nodar Meladze
On July 15, 2025, "Georgian Dream" Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused Nodar Meladze, head of the news service of independent broadcaster "TV Pirveli," of being "financed by specific individuals." According to the disinformation statement: "There are specific people who some think are 'Nationals' and in reality they are financed by specific persons who were suspected of corruption and who had to leave the team... Nodar Meladze, who receives directives from this specific group suspected of corruption regarding the dissemination of specific information."
