On February 4, 2025, The Georgian Public Broadcaster temporarily suspended journalist Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani from hosting the 6:00 PM news program Moambe.

The journalist himself shared the news on Facebook. The reason for the suspension was the refusal of Moambe producers to continue working with Ivanov-Chikovani.

“I no longer host the 6:00 PM Moambe. The official explanation – as you may know, at today’s Board of Trustees meeting, the producers of Moambe expressed their position regarding your public statements (including those made on air) and declared their refusal to continue working with you as a host,” the journalist wrote.

The Media Advocacy Coalition responded to the incident, expressing solidarity with Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani and all his colleagues who are fighting for editorial independence and responsible journalism at the Public Broadcaster.

“The Media Advocacy Coalition condemns the Public Broadcaster’s leadership for the temporary suspension of Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani from anchoring the news. This decision aims to silence an objective, impartial journalist who actively supports Georgia’s European path, along with his colleagues,” the coalition stated.

Update: On February 26, 2025, the Moambe news program on the Public Broadcaster’s First Channel was hosted by a new anchor, Lasha Berdzenishvili, instead of Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani.