On January 17, after an investigative report aired on Saturday Formula about the possible involvement of “Georgian Dream” supporter Goga Khaindrava in corruption schemes, the program’s host, Davit Kashiashvili, received a threatening message on social media from an unknown person. The author of the threat wrote to the journalist: “Tbilisi is a small city… take care of yourself, buddy.”
Davit Kashiashvili announced the incident himself during the program’s live broadcast, thereby informing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. It is also noteworthy that a few weeks earlier Saturday Formula had prepared a report on Goga Khaindrava’s property, after the broadcast of which the director publicly stated his intention to file a lawsuit against the television company.
According to the assessment of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics, this case of threats against a journalist is particularly alarming against the backdrop of inadequate protection of journalists’ safety in Georgia. The organization calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to immediately investigate the incident and ensure the journalist’s safety.
On October 15, Sulkhan Meskhidze, the founder and director of “Adjara Times,” published a post on social media, stating that he had received a threatening and insulting message. According to Meskhidze, the message concerned him and his family members.
According to the journalist, the reason for the threat was most likely his publication, which concerns the resignation of Akaki Beridze, the head of the Batumi City Hall’s Department of City Infrastructure and Public Works.
In the post, he writes that this is not the first case of threats, but since he has not received a response from the investigative agencies on previous cases, he will not make an official statement on the matter.
While covering the protest on October 4, 2025, the online media outlet Mauwkebeli lost its drone. “The drone suddenly malfunctioned during filming, as happened with other media outlets,” a journalist from Mauwkebeli told MediaChecker.
Project 64 and Netgazeti also lost control of their drones that day.
At the October 4, 2025 rally, “Netgazeti” lost its drone. According to the information released by the publication, they lost their drone on Rustaveli Avenue. “Netgazeti’s” drones, as well as those of other media outlets, were allegedly specially shot down on Rustaveli Avenue, where we were trying to film the demonstration,” the publication said in the information released.
On the same day, “Project 64” and “Mauwkebeli” lost their drones too.
Project 64 lost its drone camera during the October 4, 2025 rally. Project 64 founder and journalist Giorgi Gogua wrote on social media that the camera was filming near the parliament building when it suddenly started flying erratically and lost control.
“I was only controlling the direction of the camera, but I couldn’t control the trajectory of the drone. The last shot before the signal was lost was somewhere from Rustaveli to Mtatsminda. The flight history on the map shows that the drone flew towards the airport.”
On the same day, the media outlets Netgazeti and Mauwyebeli lost control of their drones.
While covering the October 4, 2025 rally, according to information released by the Public Broadcaster, a protester allegedly threw an “unknown liquid” at the news program’s “Moambe” crew, resulting in injuries to journalist Shalva Sumbadze and cameraman Nika Tsirekidze.
On October 4, 2025, a large-scale protest rally in Tbilisi witnessed numerous cases of verbal and physical attacks on media representatives, obstruction of their work, and damage to equipment. For the first time during this rally, some online media outlets were unable to operate their Drone cameras, likely due to an artificial disruption.
Publicly reported incidents:
- For Studio Monitor journalist Keti Tutberidze, two employees of the criminal police tried to interfere with her work and take away her phone. The incident occurred when the journalist was trying to film the arrest of citizens. “Special forces rushed to Orbeliani Square to arrest two citizens, one of whom is Irakli Tsulaia. “I was filming and two employees of the criminal police rushed at me with a roar, grabbed my hand and tried to take away my phone,” Tutberidze wrote in a post.
- A tear gas canister was allegedly fired at the camera crew of TV Pirveli – journalist Irakli Bakhtadze and his cameraman, reportedly hitting the helmet Bakhtadze was wearing. The incident occurred while they were broadcasting live from the Presidential Palace on Orbeliani Square. In the video footage released by the TV company, the sound of tear gas being fired and canisters falling and exploding can be heard. At that time, the protesters had already left the surrounding area. There was no prior warning before the shooting. The journalist and cameraman were not injured.
- Radio Liberty journalist Giorgi Diasamidze was physically and verbally assaulted by police. In a video released by the publication, the journalist can be heard explaining to the law enforcement officer that he is a journalist and asking why he is interfering with his work.
- Niko Kokaia, a cameraman for TV Pirveli, was injured twice while covering the events at the rally. The first incident, as the TV company reports, occurred on Atoneli Street, near the presidential residence. Kokaia became incapacitated after the Special Tasks Department fired tear gas canisters. He required emergency medical assistance.
- The second incident occurred at Orbeliani Square. According to information released by the TV company, the cameraman was allegedly hit in the leg by a gas capsule.
- According to information released by the Public Broadcaster, a protester allegedly threw an “unknown liquid” at the news program “Moambe,” injuring journalist Shalva Sumbadze and cameraman Nika Tsirekidze.
- According to Mediacheker, documentary photographer, Mariam Giunashvili, suffered burns after allegedly being pepper-sprayed. “They sprayed me [with pepper spray] from three different directions, from the front right in the face and from the sides all over my body. I got particularly bad burns on my hands and arms,” Giunashvili told Mediachecker.
- The publications “Project 64”, “Netgazeti” and “Mautskebeli” have lost their aerial cameras. The founder and journalist of “Project 64”, Giorgi Gogua, writes on social networks that the camera was filming near the parliament, when suddenly the camera started flying strangely, and he lost control. “I was only controlling the direction of the camera, but I could not control the trajectory of the drone. The last shot, before the signal was lost, is somewhere from Rustaveli to Mtatsminda. The flight history on the map shows that the drone flew towards the airport.”
According to information disseminated by “Netgazeti”, they lost their drone on Rustaveli Avenue. “Netgazeti’s” drones, as well as those of other media outlets, were allegedly specially shot down on Rustaveli Avenue, where we were trying to film a demonstration,” the publication said in the information.
According to information, the publication “Mautskebeli” also lost its drone. During filming, the drone suddenly malfunctioned, like other media outlets,” a journalist from “Maudereli” told MediaChecker.
On December 7, in Tbilisi, on Besiki Street, masked individuals violently attacked the TV Pirveli crew, journalist Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli. The incident occurred while the crew was broadcasting live. They were reporting on how masked individuals were ambushing and attacking citizens. In the video footage from the scene, an unknown masked individual is seen sneaking up behind Maka Chikhladze, grabbing her, and throwing her to the ground. Cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli was kicked in the head. The crew required medical assistance after the attack. “They took the microphone, took the camera, hit both of us, and shouted, ‘What are you reporting, you bastards?’ The police were standing right here, at this spot, when it happened. They failed to react and just walked away. We were attacked and beaten. They’re marauders in black masks,” said Maka Chikhladze.
