Georgia’s ranking drops in Press Freedom Index – Reporters Without Borders

Georgia’s press freedom ranking declines

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published its annual World Press Freedom Index. Compared to last year, Georgia’s position has worsened — the country dropped 11 places, now ranking 114th.

The report also highlights the repressive actions of the Georgian Dream government and the pressure it exerts on independent and opposition media outlets.

Prominent independent Georgian channel Mtavari to cease broadcasting from 1 May

Previously, the channel’s management had accused Georgian Dream of obstructing its operations.

The report emphasises that Georgian Dream has failed to implement EU recommendations that are essential for the country’s EU integration process. According to Reporters Without Borders, media owners often exert control over editorial content, citing the example of Rustavi 2, which shifted its editorial line after being returned to a former owner.

“The environment remains hostile to independent and opposition media, with verbal and physical attacks on journalists becoming more frequent. The adoption of the ‘foreign agents’ and ‘family values’ laws marginalises journalists, imposes censorship, and further shrinks the space for free expression,” the report states.

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Not a single Georgian Dream MP voted against the new laws.

The report also mentions Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, which “has come under government influence.” According to the authors, the country has been in a deep political crisis since the 2024 elections, amid which a “power struggle for control over television channels” has emerged.

Journalists face not only censorship but also violence. The report highlights cases of attacks on media workers, including by high-ranking officials and during election campaigns.

Media outlets are also grappling with economic hardship. The report stresses the underdevelopment of Georgia’s advertising market, particularly affecting print and online publications, many of which rely heavily on funding from Western donors.

“The financial situation of independent media has further deteriorated due to the adoption of the ‘foreign agents’ law, which harms outlets supported by the West, as well as changes to advertising legislation that hinder fair competition with state-subsidised media,” the report notes.

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“We see flashing red signals pointing towards a shift to autocracy.”

Reporters Without Borders also highlight the continued imprisonment of Netgazeti and Batumelebi founder Mzia Amaghlobeli and the detention of Batumelebi cameraman Guram Murvanidze.

“Mzia Amaghlobeli, a well-known and respected journalist, was unlawfully detained on 11 January and remains in prison. Her case has come to symbolise the current wave of repression in Georgia — a country once seen as a beacon of democracy in the Caucasus region. She is being harshly prosecuted for her profession, after reflexively slapping a police chief in the middle of a crowd.

She is charged with a serious crime — assaulting a police officer — even though there is no clear legal definition of ‘assault’. The fact that her actions were provoked is being ignored. She poses no threat to society, yet remains in custody, significantly weakened by a hunger strike,” said Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk at Reporters Without Borders, in a statement to Civil Georgia.