Legal incident

Journalist Keta Tsitskishvili detaned for participating in protest

On Monday, October 20, journalist and TV presenter Keta Tsitskishvili from the TV company Formula was detaned. According to media reports, she is accused of blocking a road. A day earlier, on October 19, journalist Vakho Sanaia was detaned on the same charge and sentenced to five days in prison.

The Media Advocacy Coalition condemned Tsitskishvili’s arrest, calling it an act of pressure and an attack on independent media.

“The arrest of journalists by Georgian Dream is a direct assault on the media and freedom of expression. Under such conditions, the work of independent media faces serious threats, severely limiting the public’s right to information in a democratic society,” the coalition said in a statement.

Journalist Vakho Sanaia detaned for participating in protest

On October 19, Vakho Sanaia, a journalist and TV presenter for the TV company Formula, was detained. He is accused of blocking a road, and the Tbilisi City Court sentenced him to six days of administrative detention.

That same day, police also arrested several other participants of the rally, accusing them of blocking the road and covering their faces during the protest. The ruling Georgian Dream party recently tightened legislation, replacing fines with imprisonment for concealing one’s face at rallies.

The Media Advocacy Coalition condemned the journalist’s arrest, calling it “a gross violation of media freedom and freedom of speech.”

Communications Commission begins enforcing new media regulations

On October 9, 2025, the Communications Commission issued a written warning to the television broadcasters “Formula” and “Formula Multimedia”, as well as the radio broadcasters “Journalists’ Union Khalkis Khma”, “Radio-TV Nori” and “Systema Gama” and ordered them to cease receiving funding from foreign powers for violating the Law of Georgia “On Broadcasting”.

According to the Commission’s statement: “Based on the fact that the broadcasters have received the above-mentioned funding after the law was amended and funding from foreign powers was prohibited, and the funding cannot be used in exceptional cases specified by law (commercial advertising, teleshopping, sponsorship or product placement in the program)”, the Commission considered the broadcasters to be violators of the law.

This is the first precedent for the enforcement of the law, which concerns the new regulation included in the Law on Broadcasting, which prohibits direct or indirect funding of a broadcaster from a foreign power from April 1, 2025. Since the date of adoption, the amendments have caused public discussion and criticism, in particular, assessments that the new norm may become a tool for restricting the financial and editorial freedom of independent media. During the session, representatives of radio broadcasters noted that without the aforementioned funding, they may have to stop broadcasting.

Heads of non-governmental organizations summoned for questioning

Leaders of prominent Georgian non-governmental organizations, including members of the Media Advocacy Coalition, have been summoned for questioning by the prosecutor’s office. The questioning is related to the so-called “mask case,” which the prosecutor’s office began investigating in February 2025 on charges of “sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, and other similar crimes.” According to the organizations, the investigation is unfounded and aims to persecute, intimidate, and dismantle the civil sector.

Based on publicly available information, those summoned for questioning include: Tamta Mikeladze, head of the Social Justice Center; former and current directors of the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Nino Dolidze and Levan Natroshvili; Giorgi Mshvenieradze, head of Guardians of Democracy; Baia Pataraia, director of the organization Safar; and Aleko Tskitishvili, head of the Human Rights Center. They have stated on social media that they will agree to questioning only before a magistrate judge. All of them have already been questioned in court.

It should be noted that, in connection with the same case, at the prosecutor’s request, on August 27, 2025, seven organizations’ accounts were frozen: members of the Media Advocacy Coalition – Civil Society Foundation, ISFED, IDFI, GDI – as well as organizations working on human rights and anti-corruption – Guardians of Democracy, Safar, and the Social Justice Center.

“Standing on the Sidewalk” and “Blocking the Road” Cases Against RFE/RL Camera Operator

On September 4, 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) camera operator Zuka Khidasheli 5,000 GEL for “blocking the road.” Khidasheli has appealed the fine.

The MIA initiated a second case against Zuka Khidasheli on December 18, 2025. In this instance, the Ministry also accused him of “standing on the sidewalk.” A judge later dismissed this case.

According to Radio Liberty, in both instances—September 4 and December 18, 2025—Khidasheli was performing his editorial duties as an RFE/RL camera operator, covering protest rallies.

CMIS is providing detailed documentation on information regarding fines issued against journalists from October 26, 2024, to the present.

“TV Pirveli” cameraman Giorgi Mosiashvili fined 10,000 GEL for “artificially blocking the road”

Giorgi Mosiashvili, a photojournalist for the tv ”Pirveli” was fined twice by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, totaling 10,000 lari. The police accuse him of blocking Rustaveli Avenue on February 21 and March 11. In a post on social media, Mosiashvili noted that he was performing his professional duties at the time the fines were issued.

Georgian Dream increased the amount of fines in the context of the pro-European protests that began after November 28. According to amendments made to Georgia’s Code of Administrative Offence, the fine for illegally blocking a roadway has been increased tenfold from 500 GEL to 5,000 GEL.

The accounts of the member organizations of the “Media Advocacy Coalition” were frozen

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against non-governmental organizations, including member organizations of the “Media Advocacy Coalition,” on charges of “sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, assistance in hostile activities to a foreign organization and an organization under foreign control, and mobilization of funds for activities directed against the constitutional order and foundations of national security of Georgia.”

On August 27, 2025, Tbilisi City Court satisfied the Prosecutor’s Office’s request and froze the bank accounts of these organizations.

Minutes after the Prosecutor’s Office released its statement, the pro-government TV company “Imedi” broadcast a story supporting the investigation, specifically using comments from civil sector representatives from pro-European rallies. The Prosecutor’s Office’s accusation charges the organizations with mobilizing funds to purchase special equipment (such as special gas masks, helmets, face coverings, medical masks, protective goggles) for participants of the pro-European rallies.

More than 50 civil society and media organizations expressed solidarity with the seized organizations.

“Taking punitive steps against Georgian non-governmental organizations, similar to the Russian authorities, confirms that the Ivanishvili government’s interest is the complete destruction of dissenting opinion and pro-European groups in Georgia,” the statement said.

Based on the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, the accounts of seven organizations were seized on August 27. These are: “Civil Society Foundation,” “International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy” (ISFED), “Institute for Development of Freedom of Information” (IDFI), “Guardians of Democracy,” “Georgian Democratic Initiative” (GDI), “Sapari,” and “Social Justice Center.” Among these, “Civil Society Foundation,” ISFED, IDFI, and GDI are members of the “Media Advocacy Coalition.”

Founder of “Batumelebi”/“Netgazeti” outlets, Mzia Amaglobeli, sentenced to 2 years in prison

Judge Nino Sakhelashvili of the Batumi City Court reclassified the charges against the founder of the online publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, and sentenced her to two years in prison.

Mzia Amaglobeli was charged with assaulting a police officer after slapping the Chief of Batumi Police, and was charged under Article 353 Prima of the Criminal Code, which envisions 4 to 7 years in prison. On the day of the verdict, the judge reclassified the charges to Article 353 Part One of the Criminal Code. The article in question refers to resisting a police officer, a special penitentiary service employee or another government official with the aim of obstructing the maintenance of public order, interrupting or changing his activities. The article provides for a fine or house arrest for a term of up to two years or imprisonment for a term of 2 to 6 years.

Mzia Amaglobeli’s attorneys plan to appeal the case after the verdict is handed down.

Mzia Amaglobeli was first arrested on January 11 of this year under administrative law, and a few hours later, on January 12, under criminal law.

Founder of Batumelebi/Netgazeti outlets, Mzia Amaglobeli, sentenced to 2 years in prison

Mzia Amaglobeli’s attorneys plan to appeal the case after the verdict is handed down.

Mzia Amaglobeli was first arrested on January 11 of this year under administrative law, and a few hours later, on January 12, under criminal law.

“Cartu Bank” is suing “TV Pirveli” in court

“Cartu Bank,” 35% of which is owned by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son, Uta Ivanishvili, is suing “TV Pirveli” for defamation. The plaintiff demands that the channel not refer to the bank as “Ivanishvili’s” or “the oligarch’s” bank.

According to Nodari Meladze, head of TV Pirveli’s news department, the report that prompted the lawsuit was aired in a news broadcast and was based on a resolution of the European People’s Party (EPP), which called for Cartu Bank to be disconnected from the international payment system SWIFT.

“They are demanding that this report not be posted on online platforms. Apparently, this issue is problematic for the bank, and they are seeking a court ban on media use of terms like ‘Ivanishvili’s bank’ or ‘oligarch’s bank,’” Meladze told Netgazeti. He also noted that Cartu Bank is seeking only a denial of the facts presented in the report, not monetary compensation.

According to the Media Advocacy Coalition, this lawsuit represents another case of Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP): “This case is another clear example of the targeted repressive policy toward the media conducted by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s ‘Georgian Dream,’” the organization said in a statement.