On the night of April 4, 2026, Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov was detained in Georgia. Information regarding his arrest was initially released by his wife, who published surveillance footage showing law enforcement officers attempting to cut through the door of Sadygov’s home.
Following the news of the arrest, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia issued a statement noting that the journalist was detained for an offense under Article 173 of the Administrative Offenses Code—insulting a police officer on social media.
Afghan Sadygov’s trial took place late that same night. Tbilisi City Court Judge Tornike Kochkiani found Sadygov guilty and fined him 2,000 GEL. Additionally, he was ordered to be expelled from Georgia and banned from re-entering the country for a period of three years. The decision was announced at dawn, around 4:00 AM.
Afghan Sadygov was a critic of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s regime, for which he faced persecution in Azerbaijan. He arrived in Georgia with his wife and two minor children on December 24, 2023. Azerbaijan had been demanding Sadygov’s handover for nearly two years. His lawyers considered such a move dangerous and appealed the Georgian courts’ decisions regarding his extradition to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). There was an interim measure in place from the ECHR issued in 2025, which prohibited Georgia from extraditing Sadygov to Azerbaijan due to the threat of torture and political persecution. According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Sadygov’s expulsion is a grave violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and Georgian legislation, used as a tool for political retribution.
The Charter of Journalistic Ethics of Georgia expresses solidarity with Afghan Sadygov and condemns his expulsion from the country. The Charter calls on international organizations working on journalists’ rights to pay close attention to Sadygov’s case, ensure his safety, and do everything in their power to protect the journalist in Azerbaijan, where he is currently located. In the assessment of the Media Advocacy Coalition, the expulsion of Afghan Sadygov is “a gross violation of international law and part of a policy directed against freedom of speech and independent journalists, which ‘Georgian Dream’ has been implementing for several years.”
On April 2, 2026, during a briefing held in Parliament, the Speaker of the Parliament from “Georgian Dream,” Shalva Papuashvili, referred to online outlets Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Tabula, Publika, and Netgazeti as “foreign-funded party propaganda groups.” He accused them of interfering in the activities of the Holy Synod of the Georgian Patriarchate and threatened them with “consequences.”
“We see that, for example, foreign-funded party propaganda groups like Radio Liberty and Tabula are directly interfering in the activities of the Synod. They have launched direct campaigns against specific clerics; Radio Liberty, Tabula, and other online outlets such as Publika, Netgazeti, etc., are conducting direct election campaigns for or against various clergy members. We are monitoring all of this, and there will be an appropriate reaction,” Papuashvili stated.
His statement followed media coverage and public interest regarding the election of a new Patriarch after the passing of Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics reminds Papuashvili that the role and duty of the media is to cover all significant issues unfolding in the country.
“The election of a new Patriarch is among such issues, and the Georgian media is currently doing exactly what it should be doing—investigating information and gathering comments on this matter to share with its audience,” the Charter’s statement reads. The Charter calls on high-ranking officials to stop the harassment and intimidation of media outlets and journalists aimed at suppressing critical voices, and to allow the media to contribute fully to the formation of public discourse.
The “Parole Board” (the Local Council of the Special Penitentiary Service for the Review of Convicts’ Cases) has denied the early release of prisoner Mzia Amaghlobeli, the founder of the publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti.
According to Batumelebi, the decision states that the prisoner cannot be released early because she “still does not repent for her actions.” The same outlet reports that the commission reached this decision despite a positive recommendation from Women’s Penitentiary Facility No. 5.
Mzia Amaghlobeli has been wrongfully imprisoned for one year and three months. She was sentenced to two years for slapping Irakli Dgebuadze, the head of the Batumi Police. Under current legislation, individuals convicted of less serious crimes are eligible for early release once they have served half of their sentence. A special commission reviews these cases, with the prison administration formally submitting the motion for a prisoner’s early release. According to Batumelebi, Penitentiary Facility No. 5 submitted the motion for Mzia Amaghlobeli’s parole to the board on January 12 of this year.
The film crew of the online publication Mtis Ambebi was unlawfully obstructed while working in the village of Tskere, in the Khada Gorge. Under threats of violence and death, the journalists were forced to stop filming and leave the village.
The incident occurred on April 1. The crew traveled to the gorge after reports emerged that a landslide, caused by the construction of the Kvesheti-Kobi road, had swept away several local graves.
The crew was on-site to document the unfolding events in the village. The journalists arrived just as the relocation of a young man’s body from the collapsed cemetery was about to begin. However, they were prevented from moving freely. According to the publication, representatives of a Chinese company, along with supervisors and employees of the Roads Department, insistently demanded that they stop filming. On the orders of their manager, the company’s hired workers physically obstructed the crew, prevented them from operating a drone, and threatened to smash their equipment.
According to Mtis Ambebi, the Shida Kartli Regional Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into the attack and the unlawful interference with the journalists’ professional activities under Article 154, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. This article pertains to the unlawful interference with a journalist’s professional duties through threats of violence or abuse of official position. The crime is punishable by a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics expressed deep concern over the incident. In a statement, they noted that the attack bears clear signs of a criminal offense. The Charter calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case quickly and effectively, and urges the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure a safe working environment for journalists.
A Facebook page titled “Media,” which is affiliated with the “Georgian Dream” party, is actively discrediting independent journalists. On April 1, the page published a poster featuring journalists from TV Pirveli, Mtavari Arkhi, and Formula, accompanied by the caption: “Happy Professional Day—April 1st.” (In Georgian society, April 1st is associated with lying and is considered April Fools’ Day).
The “Media” page was created on December 25, 2024. Its original name was “Borotmokmedia” (a play on words meaning “Evildoer”), but on September 9, 2025, it was renamed “Media.” The page is primarily engaged in discrediting independent journalists, the opposition, and the family members of prisoners of conscience. According to the fact-checking platform “Myth Detector,” this page is linked to “Georgian Dream” and operates in coordination with media outlets that follow a pro-government editorial policy (such as POSTV and Imedi).
Shalva Ramishvili, the director and host of the pro-government outlet POSTV—which has been sanctioned by Britain for spreading Russian propaganda—is attempting to disparage TV Pirveli journalist Vika Bukia based on her geographical background.
Ramishvili refers to Vika Bukia as a “girl from the provinces” and an “aggressive provincial.” In the same context, he mentions her sister, Sopho Bukia—also a journalist and an editor at JAMnews—labeling her a provincial as well.
Vika Bukia is originally from the Samegrelo region. Ramishvili views this as a point of inferiority and uses it specifically to insult the journalist. Furthermore, he openly admits that he is doing this intentionally:
“You represent the class of jooooournalists (pronouncing the word with a specific derisive connotation) that I have fought since birth. I am fighting you not just as the provincial Vika Bukia, but as representatives of the joooournalist class—the collective Inga Grigolia and Nodar Meladze—so that your authority, if you even have any, is completely destroyed,” the propagandist Ramishvili stated openly.
This is not the first time that POSTV and its affiliates have attempted to insult and discredit independent and critical journalists. On March 4, Shalva Ramishvili also attempted to humiliate investigative journalist Keti Tutberidze by using sexist epithets against her.
Liza Gegechkori, a host for the pro-government outlet POSTV—which has been sanctioned by Britain for spreading Russian propaganda—is attempting to discredit TV Pirveli investigative journalist Maka Andronikashvili. The individual, who is closely affiliated with “Georgian Dream,” is spreading disinformation claiming that Maka Andronikashvili changed her last name:
“I just found out—you might think it’s a joke, but it isn’t—her real name was Nabichvrishvili. The woman changed her own last name because she was a Nabichvrishvili by birth, and then, without a second thought, she ‘became’ an Andronikashvili,” the propagandist wrote.
This is not the first time that POSTV and its affiliates have attempted to insult and discredit independent and critical journalists. This attitude has become a trend on the channel and is systematic in nature. The channel’s director, Shalva Ramishvili, is particularly active in these efforts.
Tbilisi City Court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by TV Pirveli journalists Nanuka Kajaia, Natalia Kajaia, and Mariam Gaprindashvili against the pro-government outlet POSTV. The journalists sued POSTV for defamation following reports alleging they received $30,000 salaries from Temur Chkonia, the businessman and founder of Coca-Cola.
According to TV Pirveli lawyer Tornike Migineishvili, although the burden of proof rested with the defendant under the law, the plaintiffs submitted numerous documents to the court. These included: a recording of a phone conversation with Temur Chkonia; salary and employment records from TV Pirveli; bank statements from every commercial bank covering several years of transactions for each journalist; and rulings confirming that POSTV had violated journalistic standards in preparing the segment. They also presented all stories and statements demonstrating the “TV company’s” sole intent: an attempt to discredit the plaintiff journalists. Nevertheless, the dispute ended in a victory for the sanctioned media outlet.
At the same time, the lawyer emphasized that the opposing side failed to present a single piece of documentation.
On September 4, 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs fined Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) camera operator Zuka Khidasheli 5,000 GEL for “blocking the road.” Khidasheli has appealed the fine.
The MIA initiated a second case against Zuka Khidasheli on December 18, 2025. In this instance, the Ministry also accused him of “standing on the sidewalk.” A judge later dismissed this case.
According to Radio Liberty, in both instances—September 4 and December 18, 2025—Khidasheli was performing his editorial duties as an RFE/RL camera operator, covering protest rallies.
CMIS is providing detailed documentation on information regarding fines issued against journalists from October 26, 2024, to the present.
French photographer Francis Primerski, who has lived in Georgia for years, shared on social media that his residence permit has been revoked. The photographer frequently covered the protest rallies taking place on Rustaveli Avenue.
“Today, this decision is painful for me because it is not just an administrative matter. It concerns the connection I have built with this country. And yet, I regret nothing. I have always acted in accordance with my values—freedom, dignity, and justice. I will defend these values to the end. I will not remain idle. I will begin a legal battle. I will go all the way, to Strasbourg if necessary, because this bond cannot be erased by a single decision; you don’t leave such a country so easily, you fight for it. Georgia is a part of me, no matter what happens, and I will not give up,” Primerski wrote.
The document published by Primerski, issued by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, shows that he had been granted a residence permit valid until 2027.
Since the start of the pro-European protests, numerous instances of obstruction involving foreign journalists have been recorded in Georgia. These cases mostly involve bans on entering the country. CMIS provides detailed documentation of these occurrences as well.
