On October 25, the International Press Institute condemned the Georgian authorities’ decision to deny Czech journalist Ray Baseley entry into Georgia. The organization stressed that “Georgian authorities must put an end to the worrying practice of barring foreign journalists from entering the country.”
Baseley was denied entry to Georgia on October 22 and held for 34 hours without phone or personal belongings before being sent back to Warsaw, Poland. He emphasized on his X account that he was devastated to leave Georgia during the crucial elections and expressed his hope to return soon.
“Cases such as Baseley’s risk creating a chilling effect on both local and foreign journalists, whether they are in the country or planning to cover key developments before, during, and after the upcoming elections,” stressed IPI.
Reporters Without Borders wrote: “Czech reporter Ray Baseley was expelled from Georgia yesterday after being held for 34 hours. He’s the 1st EU journalist to be banned from entering Georgia. RSF condemns this obstruction on the eve of crucial elections and calls for an end to unjustified bans.”
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