In the last week of September 2025, three foreign photographers were denied entry into Georgia. Two of them were scheduled to cover the planned local self-government elections in the country. All three photojournalists had been to Georgia before, and they had covered the pro-European protests.

Specifically, on September 28, 2025, Swiss photojournalist Gregor Ziemer was not allowed into Georgia. At the border, he was informed that two fines totaling 10,000 GEL (approx. $3,700) were registered in his name “on the grounds of artificially blocking the road” and that he would not be allowed into the country until he paid this amount. The photojournalist refused to pay the fine and was turned back from the country. Speaking to OC Media, the photojournalist recounts that after the refusal, he was taken to “some room” and detained there for eight hours: “I had to book a return flight. After that, they took my phone away. I tried to get the phone back, but they did not return it. I tried to ask to make a call, but they told me it was impossible and took my phone away.”

On September 29, Italian journalist Giacomo Ferrara was denied entry into Georgia. He was entering Georgia from Armenia. At the border, the police told him that he was subject to a 5,000 GEL (approx. $1,900) fine and would not be allowed into the country without payment. Ferrara said this information was unexpected for him. According to his account, he was fined for being at a protest rally in Tbilisi on March 31, but the argument that he was not participating in the demonstration and was only covering it did not work. The journalist refused to pay the fine and requested his passport, which was returned to him after 2 hours. The journalist says he informed the Italian Embassy in Georgia and the International Federation of Journalists about the incident.

According to Mari Nikuradze, founder of OC Media, on October 1, a German journalist was also detained at the border in Georgia for 6 hours. The reason given was also a fine registered in their name—5,000 GEL ($1,900), for “artificially blocking the road.” The German journalist was only able to enter the country after paying the amount.

This is not the first time foreign reporters have faced problems entering Georgia. Based on publicly available sources, the “Center for Media, Information and Social Studies” has registered more than 10 such cases in the last two years.