Georgia / Europe & Central Asia

  
A court sketch showing Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli’s trial on July 14. Amaglobeli (standing) gives testimony during the hearing attended by CPJ and partners. (Image: Ana Janelidze)

Georgia seizes 2 media outlets’ accounts amid trial of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli

New York, July 22, 2025—Georgian authorities seized the financial accounts of independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti over tax arrears, days ahead of an expected verdict in the trial of the outlets’ director, Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been jailed since January on charges widely viewed as politically motivated. “The unwarranted seizure of Batumelebi and Netgazeti’s…

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A courtroom sketch of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli's heariing on Monday, July 14, 2025. Amaglobeli is seen standing at far right. (Illustration: Ana Janelidze)

Press freedom groups condemn hearing, demand release of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli 

Batumi, Georgia, July 14, 2025一Monday’s court hearing in the case of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli shows the disproportionate and politicized nature of the charges against her and she must be released immediately, said three international press freedom organizations whose representatives monitored the proceedings.  In response to the hearing, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), International…

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Georgia increasingly blocks entry to Western journalists amid authoritarian turn

When British investigative journalist Will Neal was turned back at Georgia’s border with Armenia in May, he became the fifth of at least six European journalists in recent months to be denied entry into a country once seen as a regional leader for press freedom. Neal, who had lived in Georgia since 2022, was expelled just weeks…

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Journalists in a press room watch Mikheil Kavelashvili, Georgia's newly elected president and leader of the Georgian Dream party, take the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony at the parliament building in Tbilisi, on December 29, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Shlamov)

CPJ, partners call for an end to Georgia’s assault on media, repeal of new laws

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 23 other press freedom and journalist organizations on June 17 in condemning Georgia’s deepening restrictions on the media, including several repressive new laws, and calling on the international community to pressure the ruling Georgian Dream party to end its suppression of the independent press. The statement warned that independent…

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Journalists in a press room watch Mikheil Kavelashvili, Georgia's newly elected president and leader of the Georgian Dream party, take the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony at the parliament building in Tbilisi, on December 29, 2024. (Photo: AFP/Shlamov)

Georgia media face fewer ‘ways to survive’ amid foreign funding crackdown

New York, May 30, 2025—A punishing spate of laws targeting foreign-funded media will dramatically curb Georgia’s independent voices and force many news outlets to shutter or shift their business operations, say Georgian journalists and press freedom advocates. Georgia’s populist ruling Georgian Dream party has pushed through its new Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA)—called an “exact copy” of the U.S. Foreign…

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Georgian anti-government protesters rally outside the parliament in Tbilisi on March 18, 2025. (Photo: AFP/ Vano Shlamov)

Georgia set to pass restrictive broadcast bills

Editor’s note: On April 1, President Mikheil Kavelashvili signed the broadcast law amendments into law. New York, March 31, 2025 —The Committee to Protect Journalists urges Georgian authorities to discard two bills that could severely restrict the operations of broadcasters, after a parliamentary committee on March 31 paved the way for their final adoption, which is expected…

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Georgia parliament very close to making harsher ‘foreign agent’ bill a law

Editor’s note: On April 1, President Mikheil Kavelashvili signed the Foreign Agents Registration Act into law. New York, March 20, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists expresses deep concern after Georgia’s parliament on March 18 approved a second reading of a foreign agent bill that will most likely become law as early as April, creating an existential threat…

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Mzia Amaglobeli, director of two news outlets that regularly report on corruption and abuse of power, is seen in Georgia’s Batumi City Court, holding up journalist Maria Ressa's memoir “How to Stand Up to a Dictator," on January 14, 2025.

CPJ: Georgia must free Mzia Amaglobeli after 53 days in jail for a slap

New York, March 5, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Georgian court decision to proceed with the trial of media manager Mzia Amaglobeli and keep her in detention, following an altercation with a local police chief.  In a March 4 pretrial hearing, Georgia’s western Batumi City Court rejected motions to release Amaglobeli, director of…

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Mzia Amaglobeli

CPJ joins call for immediate release of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli

The Committee to Protect Journalists on February 20 joined dozens of press freedom and journalists’ organizations in calling on Georgian authorities to immediately release jailed media manager Mzia Amaglobeli. Police arrested Amaglobeli, director of the independent media outlets Netgazeti and Batumelebi, on January 12 following an altercation with a local police chief. She was charged…

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Georgian journalists assaulted, obstructed while covering renewed protests

New York, February 7, 2025 – In Georgia, resurgent protests demanding new elections have been met with a violent police crackdown in which authorities forcefully obstructed or assaulted more than a dozen journalists covering the demonstrations. Protests against the Georgian Dream party’s disputed October election victory and the November suspension of European Union accession talks…

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