Transparency International Georgia reports that the year-long protest cycle, sparked by Georgian Dream’s November 28, 2024 decision to suspend the country’s EU integration process, has been marked by an unprecedented wave of violence and pressure against the critical media. According to the organization, almost 400 publicly documented incidents of violence, intimidation, harassment, persecution and interference with journalists’ work have been recorded over the past year — nearly 100 of them in the final month of 2024 alone.
The watchdog notes that journalists, operating with already limited financial and technical resources, covered the protests at enormous personal risk. “Throughout the protest cycle, dozens of journalists and camera operators sustained serious injuries as a result of targeted physical assaults, tear gas, and water cannons. Many required medical treatment. Others faced verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation, and deliberate attempts to discredit them. Equipment was frequently damaged or confiscated during coverage,” the organization states.
Particularly alarming, TI Georgia says, were cases in which reporters broadcasting live were violently attacked by so-called “titushkas,” allegedly organized by the authorities, as well as by law enforcement officers. Among these, TV Pirveli’s Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli were assaulted during a live broadcast, while Formula TV journalist Guram Rogava suffered severe head injuries after a targeted attack by a special forces officer, requiring extended rehabilitation.
TI Georgia stresses that none of the attacks against journalists have been investigated and no perpetrators have been held accountable. The organization argues that the inaction of law enforcement agencies raises serious concerns that preventing such crimes or ensuring justice is not in the government’s interest, fueling suspicion that the violence was carried out with official involvement or approval.
TI Georgia says the unlawful detention of journalists has become “a deeply troubling trend.” A total of 26 media workers were detained during the year, more than half of them in the final month alone, largely on administrative charges such as alleged “artificial obstruction of traffic.” Particularly concerning is the January 2025 criminal detention of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, who was sentenced to two years in prison. Her health has seriously deteriorated in custody, with her vision reportedly reaching a “critical threshold.”
In addition to physical attacks and detentions, journalists faced fines under the pretext of “obstructing traffic” while performing their duties. Nearly 40 such cases were recorded, creating financial pressure that the organization says is meant to intimidate journalists into abandoning the profession.
Critical media outlets also faced legislative and regulatory pressures, including the expansion of the Communications Commission’s powers, SLAPP lawsuits, and the obstruction of funding sources. Over 20 regional broadcasters were unable to resume operations in 2025 due to lack of resources, while Mtavari Arkhi, one of Georgia’s largest opposition channels, was forced to shut down in May 2025. Meanwhile, pro-government propaganda outlets continued coordinated campaigns against independent media, including an extensive defamatory segment aired by Imedi TV on November 23 targeting more than 20 outlets and investigative networks as “a propaganda network of foreign intelligence services.”
“Despite this hostile environment, independent and critical media remain steadfast in serving the public,” TI Georgia states, expressing gratitude to journalists for their resilience. “Freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental democratic value, guaranteed only by a media landscape free from political influence. Today, independent media in Georgia faces an existential threat. Its destruction would complete the consolidation of a one-party system and place the country firmly on the path toward authoritarian rule.”
Image: Mtavari Arkhi
