On 1 June, Transparency International Georgia (TI) released a report on the media landscape in the country, emphasising that the media environment has worsened considerably.
“It has become dangerous for journalists to perform their professional duties, especially if they represent the media critical of the government. The aggressive rhetoric on the part of the ruling party [Georgian Dream] members and disinformation campaign in the social media presumably supported by them, politically motivated cases, and obstruction of journalists’ work by the state as well as the latter’s failure to respond properly to violence – this is an inexhaustive list of the problems that representatives of the media critical of the authorities are facing today. Increasingly frequent violent attacks on journalists are nothing but the echo of the government’s aggressive attitudes towards dissenting views,” the report stated.
As examples, TI Georgia named the cases of: 1) Formula TV journalist Vakho Sanaia, who was attacked and physically assaulted on 25 February; 2) Mtavari Arkhi TV journalist Irakli Vachiberidze who was verbally and physically assaulted while performing professional duties by the metropolitan bishop of Vani and Baghdati on 7 May; 3) the Mtavari Arkhi TV filming crew, who was verbally and physically assaulted by the clergy of the Davit Gareja Monastery Complex on 4 May; 5) the filming crew of Georgia’s Public Broadcaster (GPB), who were physically assaulted during the confrontation in Dmanisi on 17 May and many more.
Another issue with which the journalists in the country were confronted in 2021 was the usage of threats and aggressive rhetoric against them. Another issue highlighted by TI Georgia was the recordings scandal (Caucasus Watch reported), emphasising that the country’s government continued to identify the sources who published these recordings. The report also highlighted the dangers of a disinformation campaign targeted at the representatives of media critical of the government, as well as institutional prosecution by the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC).
