Georgia: Police Obstruct, Pepper Spray And Forcibly Remove Journalists Covering Protests - CFWIJ Calls On Authorities To Investigate

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi
Date: March 9, 2023

At least four women journalists obstructed from reporting on parliament and protests against law to brand media outlets as foreign agents. During the unrest, journalists were beaten, pepper sprayed, tear gassed and forcibly removed by police officers. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the actions of Georgian police and calls for authorities to investigate these incidents. Journalists must be free to cover protests without police interference.

On March 7, 2023, the Georgian parliament approved two versions of the proposed “foreign agents” law. News of their approval sparked huge protests outside parliament. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds and several protestors were detained. On March 9, following a second night of clashes between protestors and riot police, the Georgian government announced it would drop the law. When reporting on parliament and those protesting, several journalists were obstructed by police.

On March 2, three journalists, including editor of independent news website On.ge Tamuna Gegidze were forcibly removed from Parliament by officers with Special State Protection Service despite showing their press passes and accreditation. A video of Gegidze being dragged by police officers was shared by news outlets. 

Formula TV reporters Mari Tsakadze and Tea Tetrashvili were obstructed by police when covering protests on March 7. Mari Tsakadze told the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that she was filming police when one officer told others to “Get this girl away,” officers pushed her and held onto her arm for about one minute, preventing her from filming. Tsakadze said she had shown authorities her press card and repeatedly stated she was a journalist.

The same evening, police pushed Formula TV reporter Tea Tetrashvili and camera operator Nika Kokaia and tried to take their camera. Tetrashvili told CPJ they also sprayed pepper spray in her eyes, threw a scooter at Kokaia, and deliberately fired a canister of tear gas among a group of journalists filming the protests. Photojournalist and co-founder of Open Caucasus Media Mariam Nikuradze was also hit with tear gas when covering protests.

My face is literally burning. Some amazing girls gave me some water drops, it helped a bit. pic.twitter.com/XeTMJnI6CZ

— Mariam Nikuradze (@mari_nikuradze) March 7, 2023

The “foreign influence” law

The law, which was nicknamed the “Russian Law”, was denounced by civil societies in Georgia as well as the US Embassy and EU. It was seen as an attempt to replicate a similar law in Russia, which is used to crack down on critical media and NGOs. Both versions of the proposed law would require non-profits and media organizations to register as “agents of foreign influence” if they receive over 20% of their funding from abroad. This would allow the Ministry of Justice to monitor their activities. Media organizations fear this would be used to force journalists to hand over documents or reveal their sources. 

The Georgian parliament is ruled by a pro-Russian majority. The ruling party Georgian Dream insisted that the new law is similar to US legislation (FARA) that regulates lobbying organizations. Initially, Georgian Dream claimed that those protesting the bill were misled by “disinformation”. Chair of the party Irakli Kobakhidze defended the legislation as necessary to see who funded those criticizing the Georgian Orthodox Church.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is pleased that the ruling party has decided to withdraw this deeply undemocratic bill. It could potentially be weaponized to curb press freedom and pressure journalists to reveal their sources. Dropping this bill is the correct decision. However, the actions of police during protests is alarming. We call on the Georgian government to investigate incidents where journalists were harassed and obstructed by police. A functioning media free from state interference is vital for society and police violence against those reporting should be taken seriously. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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