According to Radio Liberty, Marina Klimchuk, an 8-month pregnant journalist and German citizen, was denied entry to Georgia. On May 11, she was stopped at Tbilisi International Airport and informed that she had an outstanding fine of 5,000 GEL for an administrative offense. Klimchuk spent almost 24 hours in the airport’s temporary holding room. According to her, the room lacked both a blanket and a pillow. She was escorted by a law enforcement officer to purchase food but was not allowed to eat it there and was sent back to the holding room. After a nearly 24-hour wait, Klimchuk was sent back to Germany.
Klimchuk states that she had no prior knowledge of the fine and was not shown the penalty protocol at the airport. She suspects that the reason for her denial of entry may be linked to her journalistic work. During her time in Georgia last year, the journalist worked on several articles, including reports on the developments surrounding the Anaklia deep-sea port.
According to Klimchuk, she was willing to pay the so-called fine and even transferred 3,000 GEL to an account provided by the border guards. However, she was later told that paying the fee was pointless because she would not be allowed into the country anyway. The transferred funds were subsequently returned to her.
The journalist’s lawyer, Mariam Jikia, states that Klimchuk was not provided with the necessary documentation, including the penalty protocol, and that the official decision denying her entry cited the non-payment of the fine as the reason. The lawyer announced plans to appeal to the Public Defender to investigate the possible mistreatment of the 8-month pregnant woman.
