Georgia’s Media Advocacy Coalition condemns ‘systematic attack’ on independent press

Georgia’s Media Advocacy Coalition on Tuesday condemned what it describes as a “coordinated and systematic attack” on independent media in the country, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party and its honorary chair, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, of orchestrating efforts to silence dissenting voices.

The Coalition expressed solidarity with journalists facing “increasing repression” and highlighted a growing number of alleged violations against the press, warning that media freedom in Georgia was under unprecedented threat.

The statement singled out the continued detention of Mzia Amaglobeli, director of regional outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, calling her a “prisoner of conscience” and a symbol of independent journalism. Her arrest, the Coalition said, was politically motivated and emblematic of the broader trend of targeting dissenters.

Since the outbreak of pro-European protests earlier this year, the Coalition reported that hundreds of cases of violence and obstruction against journalists had gone uninvestigated. “None of the perpetrators have been brought to justice,” the statement read, adding that the climate of impunity had “contributed to the formation of a violent environment” for media professionals.

Criticism was also levelled at recent legislative initiatives by the Georgian Dream party, which the Coalition claimed were aimed at stifling freedom of expression and suppressing alternative viewpoints. Of particular concern was the government’s complaint to the National Communications Commission seeking to ban independent broadcasters TV Pirveli and Formula over their use of language deemed “undesirable” by authorities, the statement claimed. 

The Commission’s chairman, Kakha Bekauri, has already been flagged by the European Parliament in a non-binding resolution recommending sanctions for his alleged role in supporting the “violent regime.”

The Coalition also accused the Public Broadcaster of acting as an arm of the ruling party. Director Tinatin Berdzenishvili and Board Chair Vasil Maglaperidze were named as key figures involved in the dismissal of critical journalists and enforcing editorial bias in favour of the government.

The recent decision to ban cameras from court buildings during several high-profile trials was criticised as an “attack on judicial transparency.” 

The Coalition further alleged that economic pressure was being applied to independent media outlets, including through a de facto ban on foreign funding and coercion of private businesses to cut ties with high-rating channels.

Adding to its concerns, the Coalition accused Georgian Dream of “actively spreading disinformation to discredit independent media and undermine public trust in objective journalism.”

“The Georgian society deserves free and independent media that ensure access to reliable information and full participation in political and social life,” the statement concludes, calling media freedom “essential for Georgia’s democratic development and European integration.”