On July 10, 2025, disinformation was spread against media platform “ChaiKhana” on the broadcast of “Imedi,” a broadcaster supporting “Georgian Dream.” Specifically, the discussion was about “ChaiKhana” receiving 532,117 euros from the European Commission. Media platform “ChaiKhana” issued a statement that the story aired on “Imedi” does not correspond to the truth.
“The amount mentioned in the story, 532,117 euros, is the amount allocated for 6 beneficiary countries… Accordingly, 94% of the amount mentioned by TV company ‘Imedi,’ 532,117 euros, does not represent ChaiKhana’s budget; the mentioned amount is actually the budget of organizations operating in European Union countries. According to ChaiKhana’s information, moreover, within the framework of the project, ChaiKhana could not receive the 31,947 euros initially allocated to it, because the contract was terminated early due to the adoption of the ‘Russian law.’ Accordingly, the actual amount received by ChaiKhana is only 5,581 euros and not 31,947 euros, as TV company ‘Imedi’ claims” – the statement reads.
On July 10, 2025, “Georgian Dream” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the founder of “Batumelebi/Netgazeti,” Mzia Amaghlobeli, of fulfilling a “specific order” and “humiliating and insulting” the police.
“This case [Mzia’s case] is very important for them [European Parliament members] and why – because they intended to humiliate law enforcement structures in Georgia, because they know very well that if law enforcement structures are humiliated, the entire state will be humiliated and of course, Mzia Amaghlobeli fulfilled a specific order in this regard. She attempted to humiliate law enforcement structures, to humiliate the police,” – Kobakhidze said.
Irakli Kobakhidze made a similar statement against the founder of “Batumelebi/Netgazeti,” Mzia Amaghlobeli, on April 16 as well, on “Rustavi 2’s” broadcast.
The founder of “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti” Mzia Amaghlobeli has been in illegal imprisonment for 6 months. The journalist was initially arrested on January 11, 2025, for sticker posting and was soon released. Shortly after, on January 12, 2025, she was arrested under criminal procedure for spitting on Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze.
On July 9, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Georgia, demanding Mzia Amaghlobeli’s release. Her release is also demanded by local and international organizations.
On July 8, 2025, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of the “Georgian Dream” government attempted to discredit independent broadcasters “TV Pirveli” and “Formula.” He made a comment to the media about the alleged suicide attempt of former Chairman of the Adjara Government, Tornike Rizhvadze, according to the official version of the investigation. According to his statement, he “generally” linked the incident to opposition television stations and accused critical television stations of “defamation” and “sowing hatred.”
When asked who, according to his information, was accusing Tornike Rizhvadze of “corruption” and “patronage of drug dealers” – as written in the circulated letter – Kobakhidze said: “I don’t know, there were specific television stations that were doing this. In general, the life of a person involved in politics is stressful. Including when they no longer hold a position. Countless lies are spread, there is countless insult, countless defamation. I can name specific television stations… for example, ‘TV Pirveli’, ‘Formula’” – Irakli Kobakhidze declared.
Later, however, he denied the statement and noted that “No, I didn’t say this. I didn’t say this, of course. I gave one example. The rest should be determined by the investigation” – Kobakhidze said.
On July 15, 2025, “Georgian Dream” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused Nodar Meladze, head of the news service of independent broadcaster “TV Pirveli,” of being “financed by specific individuals.” According to the disinformation statement: “There are specific people who some think are ‘Nationals’ and in reality they are financed by specific persons who were suspected of corruption and who had to leave the team… Nodar Meladze, who receives directives from this specific group suspected of corruption regarding the dissemination of specific information.”
On July 14, “Georgian Dream” Executive Secretary Mamuka Mdinaradze also made a statement against Nodar Meladze and accused him of “agency speculation.”
On July 14, 2025, “Georgian Dream” Executive Secretary Mamuka Mdinaradze accused “TV Pirveli” news service head Nodar Meladze of “agency speculation.” “This question serves your agency speculation, in connection with blaming others for your crime” – Mamuka Mdinaradze told the journalist.
This was preceded by the events of July 8, when “Georgian Dream” Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze linked the suicide attempt of the former head of the Adjara government to critical media “TV Pirveli” and “Formula.”
When asked who, according to his information, was accusing Tornike Rizhvadze of “corruption” and “patronage of deals” – as written in the circulated letter – Kobakhidze said: “I don’t know, there were specific television stations that were doing this. In general, the life of a person involved in politics is stressful. Including when they no longer hold a position. Countless lies are spread, there is countless insult, countless defamation. I can name specific television stations… for example, ‘TV Pirveli’, ‘Formula’” – Irakli Kobakhidze declared.
On July 10, 2025, the Prime Minister of “Georgian Dream,” Irakli Kobakhidze, accused Mazia Amaghlobeli, the founder of “Batumelebi/Netgazeti,” of carrying out a “specific assignment” and of “demeaning and insulting” the police.
“This case [Mazia’s case] is very important to them [Members of the European Parliament], and why – because they intended to undermine the law enforcement structures in Georgia, because they know very well that if the law enforcement structures are undermined, the entire state will be undermined, and of course, Mazia Amaghlobeli carried out a specific assignment in this regard. She attempted to undermine the law enforcement structures, to undermine the police,” Kobakhidze said.
Irakli Kobakhidze made a similar statement against Mazia Amaghlobeli, the founder of “Batumelebi/Netgazeti,” on April 16, during a broadcast on “Rustavi 2.”
Mazia Amaghlobeli, the founder of “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti,” has been in unlawful detention for six months. The journalist was initially arrested on January 11, 2025, for putting up a sticker and was shortly released. Soon after, on January 12, 2025, she was arrested under criminal law for slapping the head of Batumi police, Irakli Dgebuadze.
On July 9, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Georgia, calling for Mazia Amaghlobeli’s release. Local and international organizations have also demanded her release.
On February 27, 2025, the Mayor of Akhaltsikhe, Irakli Lazarishvili, called “TOK TV” journalist Misho Darbaidze a “pest” in response to critical questions.
The incident occurred during a session of the Akhaltsikhe Municipal Council, where deputies were reviewing state procurements carried out in 2024. The journalist’s questions focused on non-transparent (direct) procurement procedures, which appeared to irritate the mayor. He accused Darbaidze of “gossiping” and attempted to discredit him.
On March 27, 2025, the propagandist TV channel Imedi spread disinformation targeting critically-minded journalists from the Georgian Public Broadcaster — Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani — accusing them of receiving “illicit income.”
Imedi also accused other critically-inclined journalists from the Public Broadcaster — Guranda Goginashvili, Tukha Kvinikadze, and Tamar Mshvenieradze — of the same. These journalists are part of the program Real Space, hosted by Nino Zautashvili.
The initial report by Imedi claimed that Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani’s wife owned an advertising company. Chikovani responded to the disinformation on social media, accusing the TV station of spreading lies.
Imedi later deleted the information about Chikovani and admitted that they had mistaken the journalist’s wife for another individual. However, the accusations against Nino Zautashvili remain accessible.
It is worth noting that the accusations of “illicit income” against the critically-minded journalists coincided with threats of legal action from the Public Broadcaster’s board of trustees, which is linked to the ruling party Georgian Dream. On March 21, 2025, members of the board of trustees associated with Georgian Dream demanded during a board meeting that the Prosecutor’s Office launch an investigation against journalists Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani and Nino Zautashvili due to their critical stance toward the broadcaster’s editorial policy.
On February 1, Shalva Papuashvili, leader of the Georgian Dream party, accused the online publication Publika of announcing the commission of a criminal offense.
Papuashvili made this statement in response to a Facebook post published by Publika about a protest planned for February 2 near Tbilisi Mall. The protest is being held with demands for the immediate release of political prisoners and new elections.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics responded to the ruling party leader’s accusation against the media: “The repressive policy of Georgian Dream towards independent media reached a new level on February 1 when Shalva Papuashvili manipulatively linked the media’s professional duty to the hastily adopted amendment restricting the right to assembly (Government Decree #361, passed on January 31) and started talking about criminal liability,”the statement reads.
The Media Advocacy Coalition also expressed support for Publika: “Georgian Dream is particularly attacking independent outlets that uphold high professional standards in the Georgian media landscape. We stand with Publika!” the statement says.
