The Media Advocacy Coalition (MAC), in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), has submitted a comprehensive report to the UN Human Rights Council documenting severe media repression in Georgia ahead of the 55th Universal Periodic Review session.
The submission reveals a dramatic decline in press freedom between 2021-2025, highlighting Georgia’s authoritarian drift under the ruling Georgian Dream party amid ongoing mass protests over suspended EU accession talks.
Key findings include:
– Politically motivated prosecutions: Journalist Mzia Amaglobeli was imprisoned for two years on widely condemned charges.
– Systematic violence: hundreds documented attacks on journalists during the Pro-European protests (November 2024-May 2025), primarily by police;
– Repressive legislation: Several repressive laws were adopted to restrict media freedom and free speech in the country, in particular expanded broadcaster penalties; restrictions on foreign grants; weakened free speech protections.
– Unjustified denial to entry country: Number of foreign journalists denied entry in country since 2022 increased; new parliamentary rules leading to accreditation suspensions of independent l media representatives.
– Legal intimidation: Over 40 SLAPP lawsuits since 2021 targeting critical journalists
– Information barriers: Deteriorating access to public information and institutions.
-Disinformation – media representatives are subject to the targeted disinformation aiming to undermine their credibility in public eyes.
The report underscores Georgia’s transformation from a regional democratic leader to an increasingly authoritarian state systematically targeting independent media.
