International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists: Georgia’s case

On January 23, 2024, the Khatiashvili family were evicted from their Tbilisi home. The family’s ordeal started in 2008 when they secured a long-term bank loan but then fell behind on their payments, prompting the bank to initiate legal proceedings. 

Giorgi Arobelidze, a journalist at Mautskebeli Media, and his colleagues were physically prevented from documenting the event. Despite showing their press badges, police officers verbally and physically attacked them and damaged their equipment. 

"We were streaming the eviction live," Giorgi recalls. "The police targeted us and used physical force to stop our coverage. This was the fifth attempt to evict the family. Police arrived at the scene and began dispersing the gathered crowd, resulting in the arrest of 20 individuals. Among those arrested were two charged under the criminal code." 

On January 23, 2024, the Khatiashvili family were evicted from their Tbilisi home

According to Giorgi, journalists are commonly harassed when they report on sensitive topics such as evictions, with authorities often employing excessive force. 

"We have been reporting on eviction processes for a long time, and in almost all cases, police representatives abuse both family members and journalists," Giorgi said. 

Since family evictions draw significant public interest, he said, the national prosecutor's office sided with five of the journalists but did not necessarily hold the aggressors accountable. 

This incident is not isolated. Reporters Without Borders has monitored threats to Georgia’s press for several years and says the government authorities are hostile to independent and opposition media. A recent Center for Media, Information and Social Research study supports the findings as well.

Giorgi's story is just one of 40 that Georgia’s Human Rights Center (HRC) is handling. Two years ago, HRC partnered with DW Akademie to provide free legal aid for journalists, and they have lawyers based in Gori, Kutaisi, and Tbilisi.

Legal support and the fight for victim status 

Aleksi Merebashvili is one of three human rights lawyers working with HRC. Based in Gori, where the HRC sees the largest number of cases, he said most of them involve unwarranted interference in journalistic activities by law enforcement or individuals connected to the ruling Georgian Dream party.  

Journalists protesting in the Georgian Parliament building over the death of cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, another case of violence towards journalists

Investigations are often drawn out and few cases reach meaningful conclusions. In some instances, authorities have identified those issuing threats, but then fail to follow up. This ultimately erodes public trust and leaves many journalists feeling defenseless.  

"The closest we have come so far to justice is that in some cases, journalists have been granted victim status," Aleksi said. 

Of the 40 legal cases handled by the HRC, 15 journalists have already been granted victim status. Without it, the lawyers cannot review criminal documentation or appeal to the national prosecutor’s office. Although in some cases lawyers have access to the documentation, victim status significantly increases their ability to gather evidence. 

One example of how a journalist can get caught up in this legal maze is if he or she receives a phone call from a ruling political party representative threatening to kill them because of an online video report. Aleksi Merebashvili could secure victim status for this journalist. 

"The journalist was smart enough to record the phone call, and then the prosecutor's office identified the person on the other end," he said. "Although we know that both the Special Investigation Office and the Prosecutor's Office identified the threatener, the fact that they are connected to the ruling party makes it nearly impossible for us to hold them accountable. They won't let us proceed further." 

The only option would then be to apply to the European Court of Human Rights, to which HRC has submitted three such cases.  

"The European Court of Human Rights has already begun communication regarding two of those cases, which is a tangible success for us," said Giorgi Kakubava, an HRC Project Manager. 

Upholding press freedom 

The aftermath of the recent parliamentary elections, in which the Georgian Dream party was declared the winner with just over 54% of the vote, will keep violence against journalists in the public eye.  

"In our country, representatives of the political elite are constantly trying to sway public opinion against journalistic activities, which increases aggression toward journalists," said Giorgi Arobelidze.

In their 2023 report "Media Environment in Georgia," the HRC detailed recommendations for how to prevent aggression against journalists. They emphasized raising awareness; drafting safety plans; developing incident prevention and response documents; and safety training for newsrooms and independent journalists. 

Journalist protection is critical to democracy, and this is reflected in the partnership between HRC, Media Development Foundation and DW Akademie, as well as the EU-funded ConMeCo project in Georgia. 

“All journalists' rights should be protected, and as a human rights organization, this is our way of supporting journalists who are under threat and facing interference from law enforcement bodies," said Giorgi Kakubava. "Through this project, they have access to free legal services." 

The project will end in January, but Giorgi remains hopeful that he and his colleagues can still work on the ongoing 40 cases. 

"As long as we have Georgian Dream ruling the government," he said, "we expect a lot of incoming cases. Journalists are often seen as enemies if they ask tough questions or cover protests. It’s a hostile climate where many feel compelled to leave the profession or even flee the country. However, our hotline operates 24/7, and our human rights lawyers are ready to take action."

Quality Media and Conscious Media Consumption for Resilient Society (ConMeCo) project is implemented by DW Akademie in cooperation with the Media Development Foundation (MDF) and Human Rights Centre (HRC) funded by the European Union and co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). 

The content of this article is the sole responsibility of DW Akademie and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union and BMZ.