Europe Press Freedom: Georgia Faces Sharp Decline in Press Freedom
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, March 6, 2025
The 2024 Europe Press Freedom Report highlights a rapid deterioration of media freedoms in Georgia, marking the country as having the highest increase in press freedom alerts among all Council of Europe member states. This decline has further distanced Georgia from democratic principles and hindered its European Union integration.
A fact-finding mission conducted for the report in October 2024 found that press freedom in Georgia is under severe strain. The mission documented increasing efforts to discredit and suppress independent journalism, particularly targeting critical media outlets.
The report notes that the 26 October 2024 parliamentary elections took place amid a highly polarized and contested environment. While the ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory, opposition parties, domestic observers, and a large portion of Georgian society disputed the results.
According to the 2024 Europe Press Freedom Report:
- At least 70 journalists were subjected to verbal and physical attacks, intimidation, and obstruction on election day.
- Several pro-opposition TV channels, including Mtavari TV, were fined by the Communications Commission for refusing to air political advertisements.
- Following the elections, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of Georgia's EU accession process until 2028, triggering nationwide protests, where violence against journalists escalated.
The report warns of increasing legal restrictions targeting independent journalism:
- The 'Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence' forces media outlets receiving over 20% of funding from foreign sources to register as 'agents of foreign influence', drawing comparisons to Russia's restrictive legislation.
- Journalists covering protests against the law faced violence, threats, and vandalism of their offices.
- A new law passed in December 2024 bans depictions of same-sex relationships in media, raising further concerns about freedom of expression.
The 2024 Europe Press Freedom Report also highlights increasing risks for journalists in exile:
- Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov was arrested in November and faces possible extradition.
- Foreign journalists, including Ray Baseley and Arsen Kharatyan, have been denied entry into Georgia.
The 2024 Europe Press Freedom Report warns that Georgia's press freedom is in crisis, with escalating violence against journalists, restrictive laws, and political interference. The report calls for urgent action to reverse these trends and uphold Georgia's commitment to democratic values and European integration.
