The Minister of Infrastructure visited the construction site of the Kvesheti-Kobi road in the Khadi Gorge together with representatives of pro-government television stations. The visit followed a journalistic investigation by Mtis Ambebi, which reported serious violations identified during the implementation of the project. According to Mtis Ambebi, the Ministry informed the media about the visit only on the previous evening, leaving the outlet unable to attend the site visit. Nevertheless, the Minister’s subsequent statements created the impression that critical media were not interested in the project and were criticizing it without sufficient grounds.
At the same time, the pro-government radio station Ai Utsnobi released an AI-generated video depicting journalists from critical media outlets attempting to ask the Prime Minister questions while he plays the piano. The video was accompanied by the text: “The Prime Minister and the journalists – the dog barks, the caravan moves on.”
Both episodes can be viewed as part of the continuing campaign to discredit critical media. Such messaging undermines the legitimacy of journalists’ professional activities, portrays questions concerning matters of public interest as unfounded criticism or obstruction, and contributes to an increasingly hostile environment for critical media. In Georgia, the discrediting of independent and critical media by government representatives and affiliated actors has become a persistent pattern.
Imedi TV has published a post on its Facebook page that seeks to discredit Radio Tavisupleba/RFERL. The post refers to the outlet as “foreign-funded Radio Liberty” and claims that it is attempting to criticize the proposed reform of school uniforms.
The post also mentions Radio Liberty respondent and sexologist Eka Kvirkvelia in a disparaging context, identifying her as the wife of a person connected to the “Kamiti” case.
The framing used in Imedi’s post reflects a broader narrative promoted by pro-government media, in which critical and independent outlets are portrayed primarily through their sources of foreign funding. Such messaging serves to delegitimize their editorial work and undermine their credibility.
On August 10, 2026, Adjara Public Broadcaster’s journalist Koba Partenadze posted a video on his Facebook page documenting threats of physical violence against him.
“Every evening I encounter people who insult me, threaten me, and physically touch me. There have been several attacks on me in recent days… How many times do I have to be attacked for this to no longer be considered just an ‘incident’? How many times do I have to go to the police before someone recognizes that this is a systemic problem?” Partenadze wrote, calling on law enforcement agencies to respond.
Partenadze told Adjara Times that he believed the attacks may have been linked to his professional activities, noting that one of the attackers had also referred to Adjara Television using obscene and insulting language.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to urgently investigate the repeated threats against Partenadze and take appropriate measures to ensure his safety.
On August 11, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that two individuals had been detained in Batumi in connection with violence and threats against Partenadze. According to the Ministry, the investigation is being conducted under Articles 126 (violence) and 151 (threat) of the Criminal Code.
On August 12, 2026, during a government briefing, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze repeatedly referred to television stations with critical editorial policies, including Formula and TV Pirveli, as “party television stations.” He accused them of fuelling Russophobic sentiment and repeatedly described TV Pirveli journalist Rusudan Dumbadze as a “foreign agent” and a propagandist for the United National Movement.
When a TV Pirveli journalist asked why the Prime Minister devoted so much attention to the issue of Russophobia, Kobakhidze said that such sentiments were being deliberately incited by “foreign agents” and subsequently amplified by what he described as party-affiliated television stations, including TV Pirveli.
“You, the representatives of party television stations, are involved in this. This is a coordinated campaign, and all of this is being organized from abroad,” Kobakhidze told journalist Rusudan Dumbadze. “Your party activists are walking on the beach with [Russophobic] banners, aren’t they? They are agents, and you are covering this by presenting it as people protesting against Russian tourists in Georgia,” he told the journalist.
“Postv”, sanctioned for disinformation, shared a comment by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Facebook, which serves to discredit the investigative media outlet “Monitor”.
In the description of the shared video, “Postv” writes: “The Prime Minister on the disinformation spread by Studio Monitor”.
A day before Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s statement, “Monitor” published a new journalistic investigation concerning the sale of the former “Sakartvelo” hotel building in the center of Tbilisi by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s family bank, “Cartu Bank”.
Irakli Kobakhidze called “Monitor’s” investigation “another manipulation”.
Prior to this, due to the same journalistic investigation, the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, attempted to discredit “Monitor”.
On 22 July, a verbal confrontation took place on Kote Abkhazi Street between several citizens and participants of a protest march. According to reports, the protest participants were moving along Kote Abkhazi Street as part of a march when several individuals confronted them.
According to photographer Levan Zazadze, the individuals involved in the confrontation appeared to be intoxicated. Zazadze also published a corresponding video on social media. According to the footage, several citizens are seen verbally confronting one of the protest participants.
This is not the first such incident; similar street incidents have occurred several times in the past. For example, on 7 May 2024, an unidentified individual attacked and physically assaulted Giorgi Kldiashvili, Director of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, in the street. In addition, on 11 June 2024, one hour after Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili published a Facebook post accusing activist Zuka Berdzenishvili of threatening members of parliament, a violent group physically assaulted Berdzenishvili. The attackers reportedly ambushed him near his home.
On July 18, “Adjara Times” published an article titled: “The road near the Batumi Cathedral has been blocked for more than an hour, allegedly due to Bera Ivanishvili.” The publication of the article was followed by a disinformation campaign against the founder of the publication, Sulkhan Meskhidze.
Supporters of “Georgian Dream” actively circulated posts on the social network Facebook aiming to discredit the journalist.
“The liar founder of ‘Adjara Times,’ Sulkhan Meskhidze, is not invited to crowded weddings when traffic gets disrupted; it is a cheap lie that the road was blocked for a wedding ceremony in Batumi because of the attendee Bera Ivanishvili,” wrote “Georgian Dream” supporter Gia Abashidze, among others, on Facebook.
Posts against Sulkhan Meskhidze were also published by “Dream” supporter Nino Pochkhua. These statements were later disseminated unchanged by, among others, “POSTV Analytics.“
POSTV also published on the social network disinformation directed against Sulkhan Meskhidze that was shared on the personal pages of “Georgian Dream” supporters Nikoloz Metreveli and David Chikheladze.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze called the investigative journalists of “Studio Monitor” “liars” and “fraudsters.” He made this assessment in response to questions from a “TV Pirveli” journalist regarding a journalistic investigation published by “Studio Monitor.”
On July 16, “Studio Monitor” published an investigation concerning property deals related to the former “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) hotel building in the center of Tbilisi, the transfer of state property for 1 GEL, and the possible intersection of government-linked business interests in this process. The investigation discusses an amendment made to a government resolution, based on which 3,237.3 square meters of state-owned space was transferred to LLC “Sakartvelo 2030” for 1 GEL.
This is not the first time the Tbilisi Mayor has publicly attacked “Studio Monitor.” On June 1, during television debates on “Rustavi 2,” Kakha Kaladze referred to the investigative studio “Monitor” as a media outlet that “spreads lies,” and called one of the studio’s journalists “ignorant” and “uneducated.” Furthermore, it should be noted that Kakha Kaladze’s public statements directed at journalists have on numerous occasions contained insulting and obscene language. CMIS has documented similar cases multiple times.
Keti Tutberidze, a journalist for Formula TV’s investigative program “Saturday Formula”, was verbally abused by an unidentified individual.
The incident occurred in the city of Gori, where the journalist was preparing an investigative report on the beating of a citizen by police officers. The broadcast footage reveals that, near the residence of one of the police officers accused of the assault, an unknown individual in a vehicle with tinted windows confronted the journalist. The person defended the police officer while swearing at and verbally assaulting the journalist.
On June 1, during a televised debate on “Rustavi 2,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze referred to the investigative Studio “Monitor” as a media outlet that “spreads lies.” Furthermore, he labeled one of the studio’s journalists as “ignorant” and “uneducated.”
The theme of the “Rustavi 2” debate centered on the challenges facing the capital. The Mayor’s visible irritation was triggered by a question from opposition politician Nika Oboladze. The inquiry concerned alleged corrupt deals involving the Mayor’s deputies, specifically Vice Mayor Irakli Khmaladze.Rather than directly addressing the issue, the Mayor of Tbilisi attempted to evade the question with the following response [Timecode: 1:05-1:06]: “He relied on Studio ‘Monitor,’ an outlet that has been caught in lies and fabrications. Including regarding me, by the way, on several occasions. Just recently, a few days ago, I caught a journalist in a blatant lie and exposed them… This is a clear example of how fabrications are manufactured in Georgia. Some ignorant, uneducated so-called journalist makes accusations, then an element posing as a politician repeats them, and you are left having to come out and defend yourself.”რუსთავი 2
Studio “Monitor” has published numerous investigative reports concerning corruptdeals linked to the Mayor of Tbilisi, including those involving Irakli Khmaladze. One of their most recent films, released on May 8, focused on the construction businesses of Kakha Kaladze’s friend, Giorgi Barvenashvili.
Note: It is worth noting that Kakha Kaladze has a history of using offensive and derogatory language toward journalists. The CMIS has documented numerous instances of such behavior.
