On January 16, Tbilisi City Court Judge Nino Enukidze terminated the administrative proceedings initiated against journalist Afgan Sadigov and referred the case to the Tbilisi Police Department, as the court assessed that his actions may contain elements of a criminal offense. This means that the journalist faces the risk of a criminal investigation being launched.
The case concerns an incident that occurred on December 17–18, 2025. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses Afgan Sadigov of obstructing traffic and/or pedestrian movement. According to the court’s assessment, since the journalist had already been subjected to an administrative penalty on the same grounds in October 2025, the conduct contains signs of a criminal offense.
This decision was made against the backdrop of legislative amendments under which, in the event of a repeated violation, administrative liability is replaced by criminal liability.
On December 9, 2025, the Tbilisi Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the Tbilisi City Court in the defamation case brought by former Minister of Internal Affairs of “Georgian Dream,” Aleksandre Chikaidze, against the television company TV Pirveli and journalist Sopho Niauri. The dispute concerns a report aired on TV Pirveli in the program “Nodar Meladze’s Saturday,” in which Chikaidze was accused of having links to so-called call centers. The Court of Appeal ordered the television company and the journalist to issue a retraction of the information disseminated about Aleksandre Chikaidze and to pay moral damages in the amount of 10,000 lari.
It is particularly problematic that in such a dispute the journalist was considered a proper defendant, which contradicts the Law “On Freedom of Speech and Expression,” according to which, in defamation cases related to content published by a journalist in the media, the defendant is the media owner. Such an approach is the result of incorrect judicial practice that has taken root in recent years and creates a precedent harmful to media freedom.
This judicial practice is developing against the backdrop of amendments to the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression, which “Georgian Dream” adopted under an expedited procedure on June 26. The amendments shifted the burden of proof to the defendant, abolished important mechanisms for the protection of journalists, including guarantees for source protection and the so-called qualified privilege, and increased the risks of legal pressure against the media and critical voices.
This is not the first instance of legal proceedings initiated against critical media on the grounds of defamation. According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, in recent years 28 lawsuits have been filed against three leading critical television channels—Mtavari Arkhi, Formula, and TV Pirveli—most of which were initiated by representatives of the ruling party and individuals close to them. In the organization’s assessment, such cases bear the hallmarks of SLAPP litigation and point to a coordinated trend aimed at intimidating critical media.
During the hearing on December 17 of the so-called “October 4 case,” involving 13 detained individuals, Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Makharoblidze stated in court, in response to television journalists’ request to briefly leave the courtroom for a live broadcast, that if the journalists left, they would not be allowed to return. According to her explanation, media representatives could cover the trial only after its conclusion. All 13 individuals are charged with group violence and attempting to seize or block a strategic facility the President’s Palace.
Journalists have stated that, under conditions where photography and video recording are prohibited in court, leaving the courtroom effectively deprives them of the opportunity to follow the proceedings and provide the public with complete information. This is particularly problematic in multi-hour, all-day hearings, where leaving the courtroom during the trial means missing the remainder of the proceedings entirely.
According to media representatives, against the backdrop of already limited resources, this practice makes it virtually impossible for journalists to cover court proceedings of public interest effectively.
The current practice of media coverage of court proceedings is linked to amendments to the Organic Law “On Common Courts,” adopted on June 26 under an expedited procedure. These amendments significantly restricted media access to court hearings, including banning photography and video recording within court buildings and abolishing the previously existing special coverage regime for broadcasters.
On November 24, the Tbilisi City Court dismissed the case of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti,” against the Georgian Dream Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze. In the lawsuit, Mzia Amaghlobeli sought a denial from Irakli Kobakhidze of the false accusations he made about her.
In July 2025, through pro-government television channels “Imedi” and “Adjara TV,” Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated about the imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli that she had slapped the then Batumi Police Chief, Irakli Dgebuadze, on the orders of “foreign powers.”
The judge ruled that Irakli Kobakhidze’s statement was made within the context of political debate.
After the hearing, Mzia Amaghlobeli’s lawyer, Ana Rekhviashvili, said: “Such a decision in a case like this is a dangerous precedent for Georgian justice, as the court has opened the way for political officeholders and told them that they can make any statement, spread any falsehood, and political officeholders will not be held accountable for spreading such falsehoods.”
In November, at the Zugdidi District Court, a “TV Pirveli” journalist had their mobile phone confiscated. According to the television company, the journalist was only allowed to attend the court hearing after the court’s security service sealed their phone. “As an alternative, they were only offered paper and a pen,” stated TV Pirveli.
On June 30, 2025, amendments to the Law on Common Courts came into effect, significantly restricting media rights. Specifically:
- Photography, video recording, and audio recording were prohibited inside court buildings, courtrooms, and courtyards;
- The previous provision that prohibited confiscating personal items, including phones, computers, or other devices capable of recording audio or video, was repealed.
Following these changes, the media’s ability to freely cover important proceedings has been severely limited, including cases such as the trial of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of Netgazeti, and other conscientious objectors.
It is noteworthy that recently, several individuals have reported instances of violence, as well as physical and verbal abuse by court ushers at the Tbilisi City Court. The legislative amendments adopted on June 30 now further restrict the media’s ability to report on such unlawful actions within the justice system.
“TV Pirveli” journalist Giorgi Mamniashvili, who was accused by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of minor hooliganism and disobeying a lawful police order, was fined 3,000 GEL by Judge Zviad Tsekvava.
Mamniashvili was detained on November 22 while covering a protest. According to a police officer witness, Mamniashvili allegedly insulted and verbally abused them at the time of his arrest. However, in a video released by “TV Pirveli,” which Mamniashvili himself recorded, it is clear that the journalist was explaining to the police that he was performing his professional duties. According to the television company, footage retrieved from Mamniashvili’s phone confirms that he did not use any offensive language.
Mamniashvili’s lawyer stated that after the arrest, the journalist was subjected to degrading and humiliating treatment at the Dighomi pre-trial detention facility. Specifically, for several hours, his hands were cuffed behind his back, he was fully stripped, and forced to perform so-called “squats.”
The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), together with the Center for Media, Information and Social Research(CMIS), released a review of the media environment in Georgia, noting that “these arrests reflect how Georgia has become a country where nearly 50 incidents against independent media outlets are recorded every month.”
On November 11, 2025, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals began reviewing the appeal of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a prisoner and founder of the publications “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti.” Due to high public interest, her colleagues and supporters traveled to Kutaisi from various cities in Georgia to attend Mzia Amaghlobeli’s court trial, but most of them could not enter the courtroom – the trial was held in a small, 24-person hall, and seats were quickly filled. Journalists who wished to cover the proceedings were also unable to attend. Furthermore, the court security locked the yard gate, restricting the entry of Mzia Amaghlobeli’s colleagues and supporters even into the court yard.
Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested twice on the night of January 11-12, 2025. She was initially detained for putting up a protest sticker on a police building. She was released on recognizance a few hours after her detention, but was soon re-arrested under criminal law for the fact of slapping Batumi Police Chief, Irakli Dgebuadze. She was accused of assaulting a police officer, which carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison. On August 6, 2025, Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili reclassified the charge, found Amaghlobeli guilty not of assaulting a police officer, but of resisting a police officer, and sentenced the journalist to 2 years in prison. The defense is appealing this verdict to the Court of Appeals and is demanding Mzia Amaghlobeli’s release; the prosecution is also appealing the verdict, with the prosecution again demanding a sentence of 4 to 7 years.
According to authoritative international and local human rights organizations, as well as Members of the European Parliament, Mzia Amaghlobeli is facing politically motivated retribution, and they are demanding the immediate release of the journalist.
On November 12, 2025, Afghan Sadygov, an Azerbaijani journalist residing in Georgia, was sentenced to administrative imprisonment for the second time under the pretext of blocking a road—he will spend 7 days in prison. He is accused of blocking the road on October 19-21, 2025. Afghan Sadygov had already been imprisoned once on the same charge, having been sentenced to 14 days of administrative imprisonment. At that time, the exiled journalist was accused of blocking the road on October 18.
According to the “Social Justice Center,” the organization defending Sadygov’s interests, at the time of Afghan Sadygov’s first detention, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) already knew that the journalist would stand on the roadway during the protest on subsequent days, but did not merge the cases: “This circumstance once again indicates that the MIA intentionally did not appeal to the court regarding the remaining days, so that the court would have the opportunity to apply administrative imprisonment against Afghan Sadygov twice. It is obvious that the MIA is trying to make an example of an activist actively involved in the protests by punishing him through the court.”
Since October 19, 2025, after the “Georgian Dream” parliament adopted another set of repressive changes under an accelerated procedure, 13 media representatives have been detained for participating in, and in some cases covering, the ongoing protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi. Administrative imprisonment was applied to most of them.
On October 24, 2025, the founder and director of TV Formula, Giorgi Liponava, was arrested for participating in a protest. He was sentenced to three days of administrative detention.
Giorgi Liponava, along with other detained citizens, including media representatives, is accused of blocking the road.
The Georgian Dream party has fast-tracked legislative amendments that significantly restrict freedom of assembly and expression. According to the amendments, administrative detention of up to 15 days, without the option of a fine, is imposed for wearing a mask at a rally, possessing tear gas, or blocking the road. In addition, judges will no longer have the right to impose fines as an administrative penalty in cases of administrative offenses.
The detention of journalists by the Georgian Dream party is a direct attack on freedom of the media and expression. “Under such conditions, the activities of independent media face serious threats, which significantly limits the right to information in a democratic society,” the Media Advocacy Coalition said in a statement.
On October 24, 2025, Zviad Kvaratskhelia, a writer, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Intellect, was arrested for participating in a protest. The court sentenced him to three days of administrative detention.
Zviad Kvaratskhelia, along with other detained citizens, including media representatives, is accused of blocking a road.
The Georgian Dream party has expedited legislative amendments that significantly restrict freedom of assembly and expression. According to the amendments, administrative detention of up to 15 days, without the option of a fine, is imposed for wearing a mask at a rally, possessing tear gas, or blocking a road. In addition, judges will no longer have the right to impose fines as an administrative penalty in cases of administrative offenses.
“The arrest of journalists by Georgian Dream is a direct attack on freedom of the media and expression. Under such conditions, the activities of independent media face serious threats, which significantly restricts the right of a democratic society to be informed,” the Media Advocacy Coalition said in a statement.
