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Incident type: Request for personal data

Request for personal data

The “State Security Committee” of Occupied Tskhinvali Publishes Personal Data of Former Voice of America Journalist

The so-called State Security Committee of the Tskhinvali region, occupied by the Russian Federation, has published the personal data of former Voice of America correspondent Nino Dalakishvili.

On February 2, 2026, the agency released a statement regarding a criminal case initiated against Tskhinvali activist Tamar Mearakishvili. The statement claims that Tamar Mearakishvili was collecting and disseminating information that posed a threat to the self-proclaimed republic and the Russian Federation, and that she served as an information source for various media outlets, including Voice of America. The statement included screenshots of contacts stored on Tamar Mearakishvili’s mobile phone. One of the photos shows the name, surname, and mobile phone number of Nino Dalakishvili, former correspondent for Voice of America. “In principle, this government should protect me from rights violations by de facto administrations. Well, let it protect me, I don’t know, I’m waiting, here it is,” Nino Dalakishvili wrote on Facebook.

The “Journalistic Ethics Charter” calls on the Georgian State Security Service to immediately take an interest in the unlawful publication of a journalist’s personal data by the so-called State Security Committee of the Tskhinvali puppet regime and to take all necessary measures to ensure the journalist’s safety.

Anti-Corruption Bureau Requests Grant Information from Media Development Fund (MDF)

On June 19, 2025, the Media Development Fund (MDF) received a court order informing them that the Anti-Corruption Bureau had launched an investigation into the organization’s activities. The Bureau is demanding a large amount of information, including the personal data of beneficiaries and partner organizations.

Documents show that one of the reasons for the court order was the publication of joint statements by non-governmental organizations about the state of media freedom and pressure on journalists. MDF has appealed the decision.

MDF is a member of the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN). EFCSN issued a public statement expressing solidarity with fact-checking platforms in Georgia. The statement notes that Myth Detector (a project by MDF) operates with high standards of transparency and journalistic methodology.

In addition to MDF, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has opened proceedings against three other member organizations of the Media Advocacy Coalition: Transparency International Georgia, Civil Society Foundation, and ISFED. In total, the court has already issued orders concerning seven civil society organizations.

The Media Advocacy Coalition views the adoption of the so-called “Russian laws” as a coordinated attack on civil society organizations. The Coalition is calling on all democratic forces in Georgia—including media outlets, civil society representatives, and individual citizens—to come together in defense of media freedom and civil society.

“Protecting media freedom and civil society is the foundation of democratic liberty,” the statement reads.