Transparency International (TI) Georgia warns of an escalating trend of repression against journalists by Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, citing the increasing instrumentalization of law enforcement and the judiciary as a key threat to media freedom, a report says.
Alongside the increasing instances of violence and interference in journalistic activities, a particularly dangerous trend is emerging: the instrumentalization of law enforcement and the judiciary by the ruling power against journalists. This is primarily reflected in unlawful detentions and fines. In 2025, 40% (33 cases) of the recorded incidents fall under this category, Transparency International Georgia says.
The rigbts group has categorized the abusive use of the justice system against the media into three main areas: Unlawful detention of journalists; Fines or declarations of legal violations under administrative procedures; Fines for “blocking roads.”
It is worth noting that this trend mirrors measures taken by other authoritarian regimes, where representatives of the free press are often targeted for repression. Among these tactics is the imposition of disproportionately high fines relative to the country’s average income level—measures that have proven effective in countries like Belarus and Russia for restricting journalistic activity and suppressing protest movements more broadly.
The organization mentions some examples of unlawful detention:
- Guram Murvanidze, a cameraman of Batumelebi, spent eight days in administrative detention. The organization argued that the video evidence showed him performing his journalistic duties at the time of arrest.
- Lasha Jioshvili, a TV Pirveli cameraman, was “violently and unlawfully detained” while returning from a protest. He was fined GEL 2,500 for allegedly disobeying a police order and an additional GEL 3,000 on May 1 for reportedly insulting a police officer in a Facebook post.
- Saba Sordia, an online outlet Indigo’s journalist, was detained on April 6. Despite clearly identifying himself as a journalist and not resisting, he was taken to a pre-trial detention facility and held for up to 48 hours. The court later fined him GEL 2,500.
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Amid the rise in violence against independent media and intensifying open repression, the failure to investigate crimes against journalists and the impunity of perpetrators stand out even more starkly. These patterns only encourage further abuses. Overall, the targeting of journalists is part of the ongoing repressive policy of Georgian Dream, aimed at completely clearing and erasing the space for a free press in the country. Nevertheless, in this pivotal moment for the country, Georgia’s independent media continues to actively resist the repressive policies of the violent system. Even with limited resources, these media outlets work daily to keep the public informed and to create an alternative information space that counters government propaganda. Which “Georgian Dream” is trying to obstruct through various repressive laws.
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