Georgian Dream President Mikheil Kavelashvili Calls TV Pirveli a Disinformation Outlet
On October 4, 2025, the day of the local self-government elections (which were boycotted by a large part of the pro-Western opposition), while at a polling station, Georgian Dream President Mikheil Kavelashvili called TV Pirveli journalist Ina Tsartsidze a “liar” and a representative of a “lying television.”
“Georgian Dream” Tbilisi mayoral candidate Kakha Kaladze called journalists ill-mannered
On October 4, 2025, the day of the local self-government elections (which were boycotted by a large part of the pro-Western opposition), while at a polling station, Tbilisi mayoral candidate Kakha Kaladze called journalists ill-mannered
TV Pirveli cameraman Niko Kokaia was injured twice during the October 4 rally
TV Pirveli cameraman Niko Kokaia was injured twice while covering the October 4, 2025 rally. The first incident, as the TV company reports, occurred on Atoneli Street, near the President's Residence. Kokaia became incapacitated after the Special Tasks Department fired gas canisters. He required emergency medical assistance.
While covering the October 4, 2025 rally, according to information released by the Public Broadcaster, a protester allegedly threw an “unknown liquid” at the news program’s “Moambe” crew, resulting in injuries to journalist Shalva Sumbadze and cameraman Nika Tsirekidze.
Attack on propertyDamage to equipmentSeizure or confiscation of equipment
Project 64 team loses control of drone during October 4 rally
Project 64 lost its drone camera during the October 4, 2025 rally. Project 64 founder and journalist Giorgi Gogua wrote on social media that the camera was filming near the parliament building when it suddenly started flying erratically and lost control.
MP of the Georgian Dream and Chairman of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, referred to TV Pirveli as “Khazaradze’s television”
On October 4, 2025, the day of the local self-government elections (which were boycotted by a large part of the pro-Western opposition and the public), the Chairman of the Georgian Dream Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, called some of the information disseminated by TV Pirveli from the polling stations “funny and curious” and referred to the TV company as “Khazaradze’s TV.”
Interference with professional duties | Persecution based on professional grounds
Incident Type:
Verbal attackVerbal insult
A “Publika” journalist was threatened and an attempt was made to physically assault him by a Tbilisi City Court bailiff, who also threatened to call the police
On October 1, 2025, Publika’s journalist, Mindia Gabadze, was threatened with police intervention and faced an attempted physical assault by a marshal of the Tbilisi City Court. Gabadze was covering the court hearing of activist Gela Khasaia.
Interference with professional duties | Persecution based on professional grounds
Incident Type:
Attack on propertyDamage to equipmentDamage to property (e.g. house, vehicle, office)
A bailiff from the Tbilisi City Court damaged the phone of a journalist from the TV “Formula”
On October 1, 2025, a bailiff of the Tbilisi City Court confiscated the phone of Natali Jakhutashvili, a journalist for the TV company “Formula”, and returned it broken.
Three foreign reporters faced problems entering Georgia, and two of them were turned away
In the last week of September 2025, three foreign photographers were denied entry into Georgia. Two of them were scheduled to cover the planned local self-government elections in the country. All three photojournalists had been to Georgia before, and they had covered the pro-European protests.
Anti-Corruption Bureau requests information from media to enforce repressive laws
Since May 2025, after the repressive laws came into force, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has requested large amounts of information from more than 60 non-governmental organizations, including several media outlets. The basis for this request is the Law on Grants. The Georgian Dream adopted an amendment to the Law on Grants on April 16, 2025. According to the amendments, the grantor (donor) must apply to the Government of Georgia for consent to issue a grant; the grantee, if receiving a grant without consent, will be fined double the amount of the grant.
