Georgia’s media is under attack as a result of the observed election irregularities. Several media personalities are going through a rough patch in what appears to be a plot to perpetuate election fraud. There have been reports of intentional damage, ranging from breaking their equipment to causing physical injuries.

Georgia’s electioneering period kicked off in October 2021. The first round of new leadership elections was a flop because no candidate received more than half of the required votes. The incumbent Georgian Dream party received 46.7 percent of the vote, while the opposition received 30.7 percent. Failure to meet the established threshold means that the country is still in election mode and will have to hold a second round. The welfare of the media during the election season, on the other hand, is of particular concern.

Threats to the Private Media

In the past, prominent Georgian media personalities have been attacked on various occasions. Huddles of camera operators and journalists faced the brutality of the ‘March for Dignity’ rally in July 2021. The demonstration was supposed to be peaceful, but its participants attacked journalists with the intent of injuring them and destroying their equipment. The violent group made it their mission to eliminate all media coverage, resulting in tens of deaths. According to official records, 53 people were injured during the traumatic ordeal. Some people were hospitalized as a result of their injuries.

In contrast to expectations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs only apprehended 12 suspects in connection with the violent acts. The victims were enraged by the inadequate response. It was especially upsetting because the media personalities could identify more perpetrators from the video footage, but the government remained silent.

The Role of the Ruling Government in the Matter

The Media Advocacy Coalition blamed the ruling party in Georgia for the unfortunate incidents involving journalists. Several other incidents involving media personalities occurred, particularly in July 2021. The incidents exposed the oppression that media employees face as a result of an uncaring government and included some high profile cases that draw attention to the challenges within Georgia’s media landscape. FormulaTV’s owner, Davit Kezerashvili, was the subject of personal legal pressure initiated by the ruling government in what is believed to be an attempt to silence the channel. The former defense minister was faced with tremedous pressure from the government shortly before the 2021 elections. In what appeared to be a politically motivated move to oppress the media, the Defense Ministry sued him.

In the lawsuit, Kezerahvili’s legal representative cited foul play, explaining that the Defense Ministry summoned him to further subdue the media. The opposition agreed with the lawyer, claiming that the lawsuit was purely political in nature. Gigi Tsereteli, a leader of the European Party, explained that the government was targeting former government officials by filing corruption cases against them. According to him, doing so was a move to vanquish its opponents, which made Davit Kezerashvili’s case political.

The State of Things in 2022

Georgias path to the West continues but the ruling party’s efforts to stifle private media are still visible in a number of its actions. Members’ reluctance to appear on certain media channels is one of them. The representatives have avoided engaging with media outlets that have criticized the government and its approach to various issues. This behavior, according to media personalities, has a negative impact on their work because it denies them the opportunity to adequately cover ongoing political issues.

Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister, appears to be among the evasive government officials. He recently declined to invite media figures from outlets that openly criticize him and his party. He explained that the erroneous media outlets feed their audiences only biased information while defaming him and the incumbent authority. As a result, he deemed them unworthy of such invitations.

Certain Georgian media personalities have been subjected to unending criticism and disrepute as a result of the ongoing online campaign against them. The campaign began shortly before the elections in 2021. Numerous websites focused their efforts on discrediting critical journalists while praising those who were supportive.

The current administration appears to believe that political excellence is more important than anything else. On the contrary, some Garibashvili supporters believe otherwise, and they are threatening the government in any way they can.

The government has been closely monitoring critical journalists through the Georgian State Security Service (SSG) since before the elections. The ruling government illegally wiretapped and leaked private recordings of journalists. The authorities have been spying on journalists, failing to protect them from violence, and preventing them from obtaining information. These and other erratic moves by the government show how serious the government is about putting pressure on the impartial media.

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