The IPI global network warns of the dire state of media freedom in Georgia amid the introduction of increasingly repressive laws and ongoing attacks on the press. Each day, Georgia moves closer to becoming a fully consolidated authoritarian regime, as the ruling Georgian Dream party intensifies its efforts to erode democracy and silence independent voices.

In the last week the GD has passed legislation to make it far easier to prosecute journalists for defamation, it has imposed new restrictions on reporting from courts, and a court in Batumi has extended the detention of Mzia Amaglobeli despite medical reports that her vision has deteriorated dangerously while in prison.

The international community, particularly the European Union, has a duty to act now to denounce and exert effective pressure on the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party, the leaders of institutions and judges responsible for the crackdown on both media and civil society.

On June 26, the Georgian Dream parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Freedom of Speech and Expression in the third reading. The amendments are being fast-tracked before the one-party legislature concludes its spring session on June 27.

The bill redefines defamation as “a statement containing a substantially false fact and one that damages a person’s reputation,” omitting the current clause’s reference that such a statement must “inflict harm” to be considered defamatory. The amendments shift the burden of proof from the plaintiff to the defendant or the person accused of making the allegedly defamatory statement, who must now justify why the statement was not defamatory.

The legislation expands the scope of public insult offences and repeals key safeguards, including protections for journalists acting in good faith, reporting in the public interest, or refusing to disclose confidential sources or professional secrets. The law would allow courts to impose financial compensation for both material and moral damages, even where a retraction or apology has been issued.

The legislative changes would also allow the government to retroactively prosecute people over statements or comments made up to 100 days before the bill’s enactment. During the parliamentary discussion, ruling party MP Tea Tsulukiani called for an even harsher approach — adding defamation back in the criminal code.

These amendments erode fundamental legal protections for journalism by eliminating source confidentiality, fostering self-censorship, and obstructing investigative reporting. These combined changes threaten the very foundations of independent journalism in Georgia.

On June 26, the Parliament also adopted draft amendments to the Organic Law on Common Courts that would significantly restrict journalists’ ability to report from court premises. Once the law comes into effect after being signed by the GD elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili, filming will be prohibited inside court buildings, including courtrooms, hallways and courtyards.

Previously, Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, which has long been a mouthpiece for the GD party, was permitted to film inside courtrooms, with an obligation to share content with other media outlets. If it failed to do so, other broadcasters were permitted to step in. This framework will be repealed under the draft amendments.

The law also abolishes additional provisions that currently permit journalists to record in courthouse corridors and courtyards and protect against the confiscation of recording devices.

Georgian Dream introduced the draft law amid the ongoing trials of individuals arrested during anti-government protests in Georgia, including Mzia Amaglobeli. The hearings have been widely covered by independent and government-critical media.

By adopting these amendments in a fast-tracked manner, along with other recently adopted laws and the ongoing impunity for crimes against journalists, GD is slowly suffocating the space for quality independent journalism.

In the same week, on June 23, the Batumi City Court ruled to keep journalist and media director Mzia Amaglobeli in pre-trial detention, rejecting a motion from her defense team to replace imprisonment with a milder preventive measure. Judge Nino Sakhelashvili cited a ‘high risk of reoffending’ as the justification for continued detention.

Amaglobeli’s health has further deteriorated in prison. Medical examinations conducted on February 4 and 6 during her hunger strike revealed a sharp decline: vision in her right eye had dropped from 30% to 10%, while her left eye retained only about 4% vision, limited to light perception. An outspoken regime critic, Amaglobeli faces charges of assaulting a police officer — carrying up to seven years in prison — following an altercation with Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaglobeli’s arrest is widely viewed as retaliation for her journalistic work.