New York, December 4, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to hold police officers accountable and ensure journalists’ safety following multiple reports of least 50 journalists injured during violent police dispersals of pro-European Union demonstrations between November 28 and December 3. “The protection of journalists is a hallmark of democratic…
New York, November 27, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgia’s Parliament to lift all restrictions on journalists’ entry into the parliament building, introduced on November 25 amid widespread protests against alleged fraud in the country’s October parliamentary elections. “At a crucial juncture in Georgia’s history, steps to restrict journalists’ access to Parliament are concerning and threaten to…
New York, November 20, 2024—Local rights groups recorded at least four incidents of police assaulting or obstructing journalists covering a November 19 election protest in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. Georgian opposition parties have alleged fraud and are protesting the results of the October 26 parliamentary election, in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was declared…
The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday, October 25, joined eight partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium in issuing a report on the state of Georgia’s press freedom ahead of the country’s pivotal October 26 election. The report, which follows…
UPDATE: In the Georgia election held October 26, the ruling Georgian Dream party declared itself the winner, but the opposing coalition is disputing those results, claiming fraud. Georgia’s president, and European and U.S. officials, have called for an investigation. On October 26, Georgia heads into what is widely viewed as its most critical election since independence from the Soviet Union in…
On October 1-2, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined eight partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists and members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response consortium on a fact-finding mission to Georgia, ahead of the country’s October 26 parliamentary elections. The mission met with civil…
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 22 other organizations advocating for press freedom on Monday in condemning Georgia’s Family Values Bill that would ban broadcasters from reporting on LGBTQ+ issues. The bill would fine broadcasters who air content that promotes LGBTQ+ gender identification and relationships. Georgian press freedom advocates say state authorities often use legislation…
New York, September 19, 2024—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to allow Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka and Armenian journalist Arsen Kharatyan, who were denied entry into Georgia in recent days, to enter the country and work safely. “By refusing Andrei Mialeshka and Arsen Kharatyan entry to Georgia on obscure grounds, the Georgian…
Stockholm, May 28, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly decries the Georgian parliament’s Tuesday decision to overturn a veto by the country’s president and adopt a Russian-style “foreign agents” law that would target media outlets and press freedom groups. “The ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to push through Kremlin-inspired ‘foreign agents’ legislation despite…
Stockholm, May 14, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply troubled that as thousands of protesters waited for the results amid a heavy police presence equipped with water cannons and riot gear, the Georgian parliament voted Tuesday to adopt the controversial Russian-style “foreign agents” law that would target foreign-funded media. Georgian President Salome…