Prohibition on filming
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.
On October 4, 2025, during a large-scale protest in Tbilisi, two criminal police officers attempted to interfere with Studio Monitor journalist Keti Tutberidze’s work and seize her phone.
The incident occurred when the journalist was trying to film the arrest of citizens. “Squad units rushed to Orbeliani Square to arrest two citizens, one of whom was Irakli Tsulaia. “I was filming and two criminal police officers rushed at me, screaming, grabbing my hand and trying to take my phone,” Tutberidze wrote in a post.
On October 4, 2025, on the day of local elections (which were boycotted by a large part of the pro-Western opposition), the chairman of the polling station commission at Akhaltsikhe polling station No. 6 restricted journalist Nuka Stepnadze from filming at the polling station.
He told the journalist that he could only film for 10 minutes. According to the publication, the chairman of the commission only allowed the journalist to continue working after the district commission contacted him and explained the rules.
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:
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 October 4, 2025, during the local government elections (which the opposition and a large part of society consider illegitimate), numerous cases of obstruction of work, threats, and verbal and physical abuse against media representatives were recorded.
Publicly reported incidents:
4. At Akhaltsikhe polling station No. 6, the chairman of the precinct commission restricted journalist Nuka Stepnadze of the publication “Samkhretis Karibche” from filming at the polling station. He told the journalist that he could only film for 10 minutes. According to the publication, the chairman of the commission only allowed the journalist to continue working after the district commission contacted him and explained the rules.
5. In Batumi, at one of the polling stations, a journalist from “TV Pirveli” journalist, Nato Gogelia, was verbally confronted by agitators from the “Georgian Dream”. They first tried to prevent him from filming by covering his camera with their hands, and then cursed at the journalist. Their irritation followed the journalist’s attempt to find out why they were standing at the polling station with lists and why they were registering voters.
On September 8, 2025, while covering a rally outside the election headquarters of Georgian Dream’s Tbilisi mayoral candidate, Kakha Kaladze, party supporters and law enforcement officers assaulted journalists, verbally abused them, and confiscated mobile phones. One journalist required medical treatment.
According to the online outlet Publika two reporters, Aleksandre Keshelashvili and Keto Mikadze, were physically assaulted by Georgian Dream supporters while on assignment, and their mobile phones were seized. With the help of a Netgazeti journalist, they recovered only one device Keshelashvili’s phone [timecode: 1:14–1:20]. The outlet reports that it has video evidence showing who took the other phone and has called on that individual to return it, and on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respond to the theft of editorial equipment and interference in journalistic work.
According to online Netgazeti, a police officer swore at its reporter Ketevan Khutsishvili, physically grabbed and dragged her, and interfered with her work while she was broadcasting live and filming the confrontation outside the headquarters, including the attack on the colleague – Aleksandre Keshelashvili. “They used rude and vulgar gestures to swear. Then a policeman came up to me, saying, ‘Don’t provoke me,’ grabbed me by the arms and dragged me. Then a second and a third came, and one of the policemen cursed me. After that, a man in a blue shirt came and also cursed me. Finally, they dragged me and threw me among the policemen, and one of them even grabbed my hand,” Khutsishvili says. [Video material, timecode: 0:30–2:32]
A Georgian Dream supporter poured a bottle of water over Mariam Nikuradze, OC Media’s founder and photojournalist, as she filmed police clearing protesters. “At that moment, one of the Georgian Dream supporters approached me and poured a whole bottle of water on my head in the presence of the police. The police didn’t say anything to him, I pushed him aside,” Nikuradze told MediaChecker.
An investigative journalist with Studio Monitor, Keti Tutberidze was also poured a bottle of water while she was performing her professional duties.
Hungarian journalist László Róbert Mézes suffered serious physical injuries after being assaulted by Georgian Dream supporters, who also attempted to seize his phone. He required medical attention.
The Media Advocacy Coalition condemned the incidents, stating that “attacks on independent media and impunity for perpetrators are part of Georgian Dream’s consistent policy,” and expressed solidarity with journalists “forced to perform their professional duties under a violent regime.”
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics “strongly condemns” the violence against journalists “against the backdrop of the criminal inaction and indifference of the police,” calling on the Ministry of Internal Affairs for an immediate response and on the Prosecutor’s Office to conduct an effective investigation.
On September 3, 2025, Beka Odisharia, a member of “Georgian Dream,” former MP, and candidate for Tbilisi City Council, verbally insulted “Publika” journalist Mindia Gabazde. Other members and supporters of “Georgian Dream” verbally and physically harassed and spat on the publication’s editor, Lika Zakashvili. The police, instead of protecting Zakashvili, interfered with her work by forcing her to stop filming through physical restraint.
The incidents occurred during the opening of the election campaign headquarters of “Georgian Dream” Tbilisi mayoral candidate Kakha Kaladze. The event took place against the backdrop of a protest, and journalists were attempting to cover the events.
Video footage recorded by “Publika” shows Beka Odisharia speaking insultingly to Mindia Gabazde after the journalist asked him a question. In the same episode, Odisharia also verbally abuses protest participants and other journalists present.
Lika Zakashvili became a target of “Georgian Dream” supporters when she tried to film their insulting actions toward activists. One person struck her and tried to take her mobile phone, then another approached from behind and spat on her. The footage shows that law enforcement did not intervene. On the contrary, in a subsequent clip, a police officer physically tried to stop Zakashvili from filming.
According to the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, “Impunity for crimes against journalists encourages perpetrators and drives them to commit more offenses.” The Charter calls on “Georgian Dream” to put an end to such practices, take responsibility, and ensure a safe working environment for journalists.
The Media Advocacy Coalition emphasized that this is not the first instance of violence against journalists by “Georgian Dream” supporters. “Under Bidzina Ivanishvili’s governance, we see systemic violence against independent media. Repressive legislation has been enacted against independent media. All of these incidents are part of a coordinated strategy aimed at suppressing independent media and critical voices in the country,” the coalition said.
UPDATE: Based on a complaint filed with the prosecutor’s office, on September 11, 2025, “Publika” editor-in-chief Lika Zakashvili was questioned. The prosecutor’s office opened a case based on Zakashvili’s statement.
On July 29, 2025, Gori police officer Ioseb Gagnidze aggressively confronted journalist Giorgi Akhalkatsi, who was attempting to film ongoing investigative actions in Gori, and obstructed his work.
“Journalists, meet Gori police officer Ioseb Gagnidze, who told us: ‘If you don’t have your badge hanging around your neck, you are not journalists to me. I will interfere with your filming, call you liars, and if necessary, I won’t hesitate to use force,’” the journalist wrote on social media.
According to Giorgi Akhalkatsi, the officer became aggressive after noticing that the investigative actions were being conducted with procedural violations: the area was not cordoned off with protective tape, no lawyer was called, searches were conducted without the presence of outsiders, anyone could move freely in the area, and so on.
Television channels controlled by the Georgian Dream party, “Imedi” and the Public Broadcaster, were granted the right to film the court proceedings of businessman Giorgi Bachishvili, considered Bidzina Ivanishvili’s “personal prisoner.” This is the first case since amendments to the law banned the media from filming court hearings unless permission was granted by the High Council of Justice. Journalists from “Imedi” and the Public Broadcaster stated that they applied to the High Council of Justice on July 28 and received permission the following day.
On June 26, 2025, the Georgian Dream-controlled Parliament adopted amendments to the “Law on Common Courts,” which prohibited photo and video recording, audio recording, and broadcasting in court. Permission to film must be granted by the High Council of Justice. Since the law came into effect, media outlets with a critical editorial policy have submitted multiple requests to the High Council of Justice, but to date, none have received a response.
Moreover, organizations working on media issues have repeatedly called on the High Council of Justice to promptly develop procedures for granting permission to film court hearings, which would allow the media to receive timely responses to applications before the start of sessions, without unnecessary bureaucracy. However, so far, no feedback has been received from the High Council of Justice.
