Georgian journalist Natia Gogsadze fined 5,000 GEL

Georgian journalist Natia Gogsadze of Mtavari Arkhi has been fined 5,000 Georgian lari (about $1,800) by Tbilisi City Court for allegedly blocking the road during a protest on February 2, 2025.

The ruling was delivered today by Judge Lela Tsagareishvili on May 30, whose name is among over 80 Georgian officials sanctioned by Estonia for undermining democratic norms in Georgia.

According to Mtavari Arkhi, the fine comes amid growing concerns about freedom of the press and the intimidation of journalists. Tsagareishvili has previously handled cases involving detained and beaten pro-European demonstrators.

Gogsadze’s fine follows a pattern of administrative penalties against journalists covering protests. OC Media’s photographer and editor Mariam Nikuradze, for instance, has reportedly been fined four times for “road blockage,” totaling 20,000 lari.

Despite the repeated fines, journalists and civil society groups argue that they are merely doing their jobs by covering public demonstrations and holding the government to account.