On February 21, 2026, during a debate broadcast on the pro-government TV company “Imedi,” Shalva Papuashvili made a manipulative statement regarding the sentence of Mzia Amaghlobeli. He compared the journalist’s verdict to the sentence of a person convicted for slapping French President Emmanuel Macron.
“In France, a person attacked Macron do you know how much he was sentenced to? 18 months,” Shalva Papuashvili stated.
However, according to information published by “Netgazeti,” in reality the French man who slapped the president spent only 4 months in prison and the remaining term was suspended, whereas Mzia Amaghlobeli was sentenced to two years in prison. The journalist has already been in prison for more than one year.
On February 12, POST TV Analitika disseminated visual material about journalist Nanuka Zhorzholiani via social media, aimed at damaging her professional reputation and discrediting her. The content and format of the material contain degrading messages that go beyond the standards of expression permissible within the bounds of public interest and indicate an attempt to discredit the journalist.
A week earlier, an attempt to discredit Nanuka Zhorzholiani was also made by Georgian Dream MP Tea Tsulukiani, who shared an AI-generated image along with a text written in offensive language, falsely depicting her as being photographed with the American financier Epstein, who was convicted of pedophilia.
On January 28, a post was published on the Facebook page of the pro–“Georgian Dream” TV company Imedi, showing a photo that included TV Pirveli journalist and producer Nodar Meladze alongside the Executive Director of Transparency International Georgia. Imedi accused TV Pirveli of spreading false propaganda and called it a “propaganda tool.”
Like POSTV, Imedi is actively involved in promoting narratives created by Georgian Dream to discredit independent media, both on television broadcasts and on social media accounts.
The Chair of Parliament from “Georgian Dream,” Shalva Papuashvili, has once again engaged in discrediting independent online media, first on the air of TV company “Imedi,” and later on his personal social media page.
On Imedi’s broadcast, Papuashvili referred to the publication “Publika” as a “so-called media outlet that is in reality an instrument of propaganda.”
Shalva Papuashvili attempted to discredit independent media in the context of organizations being registered abroad.
Along with “Publika,” he mentioned other media outlets in the same context, specifically on.ge and “Tabula.”
Quotes discrediting “Publika” by the Chair of Parliament from “Georgian Dream” were published as separate Facebook cards, including by TV company “Imedi.” Subsequently, the broadcaster dedicated separate reports to this topic in the first block of various news programs.
The same narrative was once again spread by Shalva Papuashvili via his own social media, where this time the names of “Publika” editors Lika Zakashvili and Zurab Vardiashvili were mentioned on the organization’s registration document.
High-ranking officials of “Georgian Dream” are actively attempting to discredit independent media.
A Member of Parliament from “Georgian Dream,” Nino Tsilosani, calls the fact-checking organization “Myth Detector” “trolls.”
“So, ‘Myth Detector,’ that is, trolls exposed by a troll?! So should we believe the Myth Detector troll?! I am telling you that [Myth Detector] is a troll; the goals of this organization are unknown to everyone. Isn’t it your television’s goal to label someone a troll! To call a person a troll who says the truth about a BBC article and a documentary film, that it was a lie—so you call a troll a person who was laughing that for you it was important that a parrot lost its feathers,” Nino Tsilosani stated.
Representatives of “Georgian Dream” are systematically engaged in the public discreditation of independent media, journalists, and representatives of civil society, with the aim of damaging their reputation in the eyes of the public.
On January 26, 2026, Formula TV journalist Nano Chakvetadze had her phone confiscated, the footage recorded on site was deleted, and she was threatened with arrest.
According to information reported by the media, a Formula journalist was covering the death of an employee of the Anti-Corruption Agency near the building of the State Security Service (SSS), when the media representative was obstructed while performing her professional duties.
“We tried to film footage and ask questions to investigators, but first they forcibly took our phone, and then, again using force, made us leave the area,” says Formula TV journalist Nano Chakvetadze.
The incident was addressed by the Media Advocacy Coalition. “Pressure on journalists and the unlawful restriction of their work constitute a gross violation of media freedom. We stand in solidarity with Nano Chakvetadze and all representatives of independent media who are forced to work and inform the public in an extremely challenging environment,” the coalition’s statement reads.
Tbilisi City Council member Konstantine Zarnadze of “Georgian Dream” accuses independent media outlets of “psychological terror, sowing disorder and fear.”
“It is impossible to ignore the psychological terror that opposition media carry out on a daily basis… This is no longer journalism; this is manipulation of people’s psyche. Their goal is to create a constant sense of tension, to sow disorder and fear in society, and to instill complete hopelessness about the future,” the council member said in response to reports by critical media outlets about food prices.
Representatives of “Georgian Dream” systematically engage in the public discrediting of independent media and journalists, with the aim of undermining them in the eyes of the public.
At a press conference held on January 21, “Georgian Dream” supporter Goga Khaindrava announced that he is suing tv “Formula.”
On January 17, “Shabatis Formula” (Saturday Formula) aired a report about Goga Khaindrava. According to the report, Khaindrava is allegedly involved in corruption schemes.
After the report was broadcast, the show’s host, Davit Kashiashvili, stated that he received a threatening letter from an unknown individual. The author of the threat wrote to the journalist: “Tbilisi is a small city… take care of yourself, buddy.”
Davit Kashiashvili personally announced this during a live broadcast of the program, thereby notifying the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia about the matter.
On January 20, Pro-Government TV”Imedi” published a clip on its social media page taken from a monologue by TV Pirveli journalist Vika Bukia, with the caption: “The grammatical ‘education’ of a propagandist.”
Vika Bukia is a journalist known for her critical stance toward “Georgian Dream.” It is for this reason that the pro-government TV station “Imedi” singled out an excerpt from the journalist’s monologue and, for the purpose of discrediting her, labeled her a “propagandist.”
On January 17, after an investigative report aired on Saturday Formula about the possible involvement of “Georgian Dream” supporter Goga Khaindrava in corruption schemes, the program’s host, Davit Kashiashvili, received a threatening message on social media from an unknown person. The author of the threat wrote to the journalist: “Tbilisi is a small city… take care of yourself, buddy.”
Davit Kashiashvili announced the incident himself during the program’s live broadcast, thereby informing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. It is also noteworthy that a few weeks earlier Saturday Formula had prepared a report on Goga Khaindrava’s property, after the broadcast of which the director publicly stated his intention to file a lawsuit against the television company.
According to the assessment of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics, this case of threats against a journalist is particularly alarming against the backdrop of inadequate protection of journalists’ safety in Georgia. The organization calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to immediately investigate the incident and ensure the journalist’s safety.
