On October 22, 2025, Lika Basialia-Shavgulidze, a member of the Georgian Public Broadcaster Supervisory Board, was arrested at a protest.

Footage shows the journalist standing on the sidewalk, addressing the police. She was neither wearing a mask nor blocking the road.

Police used excessive force to detain Lika Basialia-Shavgulidze. Later, her lawyer reported that she sustained injuries to her neck during the arrest.

Lika Basialia-Shavgulidze is the fifth journalist to be detained since the ruling Georgian Dream party passed new restrictive legislative amendments in Parliament.

The Georgian Dream Parliament introduced several changes to laws that further limit the freedoms of assembly and expression. Over 80 people have been detained in the past few days under these changes.

The arrest of journalists by Georgian Dream is a direct attack on media freedom and freedom of expression. Under such conditions, the work of independent media faces serious threats, significantly restricting the public’s right to be informed, according to a statement by the Media Advocacy Coalition.