On October 25, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) published the final findings of press freedom mission to Georgia, issued under the auspices of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists entitled “Press Freedom and Journalists’ Safety in Peril, Rising Polarization and a Climate of Fear”. RSF is one of the partner organizations of the Platform and of Media Freedom Rapid Response which took part in the mission. The report presents findings on Georgia’s implementation of its commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom, including in relation to the ongoing election campaign.
The mission was conducted on October 1-2 by the Partner organizations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including ARTICLE 19 Europe, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Index on Censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Justice for Journalists Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Read the interim findings of the mission here.
The RSF reports that during the mission the observers found “deterioration of press freedom amid rising authoritarianism.” The organization stresses: “It has been made clear to us that a wide range of tools and mechanisms are used to discredit and curtail dissenting voices, including those of independent journalists. We want to declare our full support and solidarity with the journalists, press freedom and civil society organisations. We came with concerns about media freedom, but we were appalled by what we heard.”
The report details the “extreme polarization” of the media, “increasingly repressive” legislation, and verbal and physical violence against journalists that prevents people from working peacefully in the media. RSF also notes that state and non-state institutions are often instrumentalized to discredit civil society groups and media critical of the government, and that this hostile environment – and the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for violence and intimidation – seriously threatens citizens’ right to reliable information.
“Threats, harassment, insults, abusive legal proceedings, surveillance… We’re witnessing an increase in the intimidation of journalists, as described in this report. In the face of these shocking developments and pro-Russian disinformation campaigns, RSF is calling for a democratic overhaul. The political parties contesting the election — particularly the Georgian Dream party, which is currently in power — must guarantee that the country’s commitments to journalists’ safety and the right to reliable information are respected,” Jeanne Cavelier, Head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Desk, stated.
RSF’s Recommendations
The final section of the report lists recommendations for Georgia to improve press freedom, including:
- Guarantee a safe and free working environment for journalists. Ensure that journalists can cover the pre-election period and elections without obstruction or interference.
- Ensure the end of smear and disinformation campaigns as well as verbal assaults against journalists led by high-level politicians and officials.
- Legislation impacting the media, which is not in line with international freedom of expression standards should be revised. The law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” and the Law on Protection of Family Values and Minors must be repealed.
- Ensure the proper implementation of the media legal framework, with a particular focus on the legislation regarding free access to information. Guarantee that state agencies provide requested public information to media outlets in a timely manner, as enshrined in the law.
- Ensure an end to the cycle of impunity by conducting thorough investigations into all cases of attacks against journalists, including those physically assaulted during the demonstrations against the law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” in 2023 and 2024, as well as during violence in July 2021 and June 2020. Acts of vandalism of media offices and journalists’ property, as well as the unprecedented number of threatening and insulting calls journalists received, should be thoroughly investigated.
- Ensure the editorial and financial independence of Georgia’s public broadcaster.
- Strengthen the capacity of the body dealing with the implementation of the Law on Free Access to Information and ensure that the Freedom of Information Act is presented to Parliament.
- Take concrete actions to ensure the independence of the judiciary; put an end to using courts as a means to discredit and silence the media and dissenting voices.
Also Read: