TI Georgia: violence, pressure against independent media in Georgia intensifying

The watchdog group Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia) has warned that violence, intimidation, and other forms of pressure against independent and critical media in Georgia have reached an “alarming level” this year.

In a new statement on Wednesday, the organization said it had recorded over 180 cases of “violence, threats, harassment, persecution, and obstruction of journalistic activity” in the first nine months of this year - with more than half occurring in the past five months alone.

TI Georgia described 2025 as “a dramatically difficult year” for the country’s regional media, citing “widespread closures and financial struggles.”

Among the most concerning developments, the group highlighted the arrest and two-year prison sentence of Batumelebi and Netgazeti founder Mzia Amaglobeli, calling the case emblematic of a growing pattern of state pressure on journalists.

The statement accused the ruling party, Georgian Dream, of increasingly using the judiciary and law enforcement agencies to target critical media “in line with political interests,” noting a rise in arbitrary detentions, fines, and mistreatment of reporters. TI Georgia also pointed to the government’s “failure” to investigate crimes committed against journalists.

Restrictions on filming and reporting from courtrooms have also intensified, the group said, culminating this year in a blanket ban on video and photo coverage of court proceedings - a move that “further closed off an already opaque system.”

TI Georgia further added that several new restrictive laws have further weakened the country’s independent media landscape, making it harder for outlets with limited financial and technical resources to operate.

The report also highlighted the “severe decline” of regional broadcasting, noting that 17 out of 21 local TV stations can no longer produce daily news due to financial hardship. Long-standing regional channels such as Borjomi TV, TV 25 (Adjara), and Mecxre Arkhi Akhaltsikhe have all ceased broadcasting.

Additionally, one of Georgia’s main critical broadcasters, Mtavari Arkhi, suspended operations in February amid ownership disputes and permanently shut down in May after years of political and financial pressure.

TI Georgia concluded that the combination of legal restrictions, financial suffocation, and intimidation tactics represented a serious threat to press freedom and democratic accountability in the country.