Tbilisi

Irakli Kobakhidze is trying to discredit the investigative media outlet “Monitor”

“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”.

As a result of another coordinated cyberattack attempt, the “Monitor” YouTube channel was disabled

On July 25, the YouTube channel of the investigative media outlet “Monitor” was disabled. In a released statement, the media outlet notes that a coordinated cyberattack was carried out against them:

“3 of our materials were appealed (so-called reported) on YouTube: the first concerns the Hermès collection of Ana Areshidze, the wife of the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze; the second material concerns sanctioned judges; and the third is a part of our extensive journalistic investigation, which concerns the change in the excise price on cigarettes – it satisfied the business interests of Vano Chkhartishvili, a businessman close to the government,” the statement reads.

“Monitor” considers these types of attacks as another attempt to silence independent media and restrict the provision of objective information to the public. “However, they will not be able to hinder our activities with such methods,” the statement notes.

It is noteworthy that a coordinated attack on “Monitor’s” social networks was previously recorded in early July, when Meta deleted several of “Monitor’s” materials following so-called reports. As noted in the statement of “Monitor,” Meta restored the materials after an appeal.

This time, “the ‘Monitor’ team is actively working to resolve the problem caused by the coordinated attack and to restore the channel (referring to YouTube) in a timely manner,” the statement reads.

Several Individuals Attacked Comedian Onise Okriashvili near His Home Following a Discrediting Campaign

On 22 July, civil activist and comedian Onise Okriashvili was attacked near his home by several individuals. Publicly circulated video footage shows several individuals physically assaulting Okriashvili near his home. Following the attack, Okriashvili was taken to a medical clinic.

According to Okriashvili’s wife, Mariam Samushia, he was undergoing medical examinations to determine whether he had sustained injuries. “I heard shouting near the house, called Onise, and it turned out that he had been attacked. Onise is now undergoing examinations to determine whether he has any injuries. Today we were discussing filing a complaint over the defamation disseminated by propaganda media, and today Onise was beaten. This is artificially incited hatred,” Samushia said.

The attack was preceded by a discrediting campaign against Okriashvili by pro-government media outlets. For several days, pro-government channels criticized him over a reference to Nodar Dumbadze in an episode of the comedy YouTube show Punchline Therapy. According to Okriashvili, the disputed phrase was not an insult directed at the writer, but a comedic comparison made in a hypothetical context. Okriashvili is a comedian who has recently been actively involved in the protest movement, including solidarity actions against restrictions on freedom of expression and unlawful detentions.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, one person was arrested on charges of violence against Onise Okriashvili. The Ministry stated that the alleged attacker appeared voluntarily at the Vake-Saburtalo Police Division.

Despite the attack, the discrediting campaign against Okriashvili has not stopped. Pro-government media outlets continue to circulate videos and excerpts from his stand-up performances and podcasts, presenting them out of context. At the same time, the same outlets are disseminating materials supportive of the person accused of the attack, portraying him not as a person charged with violence, but as someone who allegedly defended “Georgian dignity,” Orthodox Christianity, traditions, and the name of Nodar Dumbadze. These narratives are being circulated in a coordinated manner on the platforms of both TV Imedi and Rustavi 2.

Against this backdrop, the Prosecutor’s Office requested GEL 5,000 bail as a preventive measure against the accused. Georgian Dream MP Dimitri Samkharadze also commented on the matter, stating that he was ready to use his parliamentary mandate and, if Niko Khurtsilava wished, act as his surety to support his release on bail

Several Citizens Verbally Confronted Protest Participants on Kote Abkhazi Street

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.

Vakho Sanaia was sentenced to prison over a status he posted on social media

On July 22, Zviad Tsekvava of the Tbilisi City Court sentenced journalist Vakho Sanaia to 14 days in prison over a status posted on a social network. Previously, Vakho Sanaia had already been fined for a post written on Facebook.

The case concerned posts published on social media by Vakho Sanaia regarding the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, and MP Lado Bojadze.

This is the first instance of a journalist being sentenced to imprisonment for a status written on a social network.

Administrative disputes against citizens over opinions expressed in public spaces are initiated based on reports from the newly created “Division for Combatting Hate Speech” within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). The new division has been operating within the MIA since June 1. The division’s task is to monitor and proactively detect statements disseminated in the public sphere that degrade human dignity, are insulting, or contain hate speech, if they exhibit signs of an administrative offense.

Pro-Government Channels Launch Campaign against Comedian Onise Okriashvili and YouTube Project “Punchline Therapy”

A discrediting campaign has been launched in pro-government media outlets against comedian and activist Onise Okriashvili, as well as the YouTube project “Punchline Therapy.” The campaign followed one episode of the show, in which Okriashvili is one of the co-hosts, together with Anastasia Bendukidze and Irakli Jabua.

Initially, TV channel Imedi referred to Onise Okriashvili as an “opposition activist” and stated that, in the podcast, he had used hate speech directed at writer Nodar Dumbadze. Later, Rustavi 2 also prepared a story with similar content, portraying “Punchline Therapy” as a podcast built on insulting, mocking, and dignity-degrading rhetoric.

Rustavi 2’s story claimed that the targets of the hosts’ degrading jokes included clergy members, street vendors, elderly people, and Nodar Dumbadze. The story also included comments from the ruling party, alleging that podcasts of this kind serve to normalize hate speech, increase polarization, and establish “anti-Georgian rules,” which, according to them, are also financially supported by “external actors.”

Onise Okriashvili published a video statement on social media in response to the controversy surrounding him. According to his explanation, no insult was made against Nodar Dumbadze in the podcast. Okriashvili stated that the conversation took place in a hypothetical context and that the phrase was intended to illustrate the absurdity of hatred toward the writer.

Okriashvili is a comedian who has recently been actively involved in the protest movement. He participates in various solidarity actions, including protests against restrictions on freedom of expression and unlawful detentions. According to his supporters, the campaign launched against him is another example of attempts to discredit people who are active in the protest movement and hold critical views. Supporters also state that pro-government channels presented the podcast phrase out of context and attempted to use it to stir up public aggression. In their assessment, the campaign aims to discredit not only Onise Okriashvili, but also people who publicly express critical positions toward the authorities.

Patrol Police Called to Train Carrying Parents of Protest Detainees to Batumi over Banners

On 19 July, parents of persons detained during protest rallies travelled by train to Batumi to distribute newspapers. Before departure, they reported that the parents travelling to Batumi had been stopped because they were carrying banners and photos of their detained children.

Patrol police were called to the scene. According to reports, the railway administration cited the presence of banners as the reason for calling the police. As a result, the Tbilisi-Batumi train departed approximately 20 minutes late.

“We are heading to Adjara. The train left 20 minutes late because the railway called the patrol police, saying they should make us remove the banners. Unbelievable nonsense! We continue the fight. They may stop the train, but they cannot stop the parents and family members of prisoners of conscience!” Teona Chalidze wrote on social media.

According to Chalidze, no one has the right to prohibit parents from carrying photos of their detained children. “A train is public transport, and everyone has the right to freedom of movement,” stated Chalidze, who was on the train together with the parents.

Later, according to The Ajara Times, in Batumi, on the territory of the so-called “Khopa” market, where parents of persons detained during various protest rallies were holding an information meeting, several individuals verbally confronted them. At the time, the parents were distributing informational newspapers to citizens and speaking with them about the detainees’ cases.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze continues to discredit Studio ‘Monitor’

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.

The Communications Commission is accusing ‘Formula’ of an alleged content regulation violation for the third time

For the third time, the Communications Commission is disputing an alleged violation of the “Law on Broadcasting” by the television company “Formula.” The Commission discussed the issue at its July 17 session and fined “Formula” 5,000 GEL.

According to the Commission’s assessment, “Formula” violated Article 54 of the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting – “Fairness and Impartiality.” According to the official report, the monitoring of the 17:00 broadcasts of Formula News was conducted between June 15 and 17. The Commission considers that journalists in these news broadcasts occasionally expressed personal opinions and attitudes regarding current events, as “Formula” systematically uses phrases in the disputed segments such as: “the ‘Dream’ government,” “the ‘Georgian Dream’ President,” “‘Dream’s’ Prosecutor’s Office,” “‘Dream’s’ Prime Minister,” “‘Dream’s’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” “repressive laws,” and “repressions of the ‘Dream’ regime.”

At this stage, the Commission only applied a fine and did not resort to an alternative sanction, which, according to the legislation, involves suspending the television station’s broadcasting authorization. If the Commission establishes another violation by “Formula,” it will again be authorized to consider suspending the station’s broadcasting authorization or imposing an increased fine—not less than 10,000 GEL and not exceeding 3% of the company’s annual income. For the use of similar terms, the Communications Commission had already fined “Formula” 2,500 GEL on May 21 for violating the same article.

The case is being considered against the backdrop of recent, controversial amendments to the “Law on Broadcasting” concerning the content regulation of broadcasters. Under these amendments, expressing personal positions is restricted in news programs and during the coverage of public policy issues (with the exception of author-driven editorial programs). Additionally, new rules were established regarding the right of reply and the gathering and dissemination of information through covert methods.

On March 6, the Communications Commission announced that it would begin enforcing the norms established by the “Law on Broadcasting” and the “Broadcasters’ Code of Conduct” in practice and would start monitoring broadcasters. At the time, the Commission pointed out that for almost a year, it had only reacted to complaints and had not initiated administrative proceedings against broadcasters on its own initiative.

The court upheld Goga Khaindrava’s lawsuit and ordered ‘Formula’ to pay 10,000 GEL

On July 14, the Tbilisi City Court upheld the civil lawsuit of Giorgi (Goga) Khaindrava, a director and supporter of “Georgian Dream,” against the television company “Formula.” The decision was made by Judge Liana Kazhashvili. The court ordered “Formula” to pay 10,000 GEL on the grounds of causing “moral damage” and instructed it to retract on its own air the “information defaming the name, honor, and dignity” of the plaintiff.

The dispute concerned reports aired on “Shabatis Formula” (Saturday’s Formula) on December 20, 2025, and January 17, 2026. In the January 17 report, “Formula,” citing a source, disseminated information that in 2016-2017, Goga Khaindrava, in possible agreement with the State Security Service, brought citizens of India and Pakistan into Georgia in exchange for a certain amount of money.

Khaindrava claimed that the report spread “fundamentally false” information intended to deliberately mislead the public. “Formula’s” lawyer, Eto Katamadze, assessed the decision as unsubstantiated and stated that the television company will fully utilize the legal mechanisms available within the country, after which it will likely continue the dispute in Strasbourg.

Because of this same report, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia launched an investigation involving the television company “Formula” under Part 1 of Article 373 of the Criminal Code, which implies false denunciation. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation concerns the fact of a possible crime committed by “Formula” against Goga Khaindrava. Within the framework of this investigation, “Formula” journalists Natuka Lomadze, Misho Martashvili, and Davit Kashiashvili were summoned to the Prosecutor’s Office for questioning.