Freedom of the Press

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Afgan Sadygov. Photo via Sakartvelos Ambebi.

Afgan Sadigov

Detained Azerbaijani journalist transferred to Georgia prison hospital following hunger strike

by OC Media

•2 min read

Detained Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov has been transferred to a prison hospital in Georgia on his 17th day of hunger strike. Sadigov has been in extradition custody in Gldani prison in Tbilisi since 4 August. Sadigova told Netgazeti on Tuesday that she was informed about her husband’s transfer to the hospital late Monday night. ‘I asked [to] talk to my husband, so I could hear his voice’, she said, adding that she was denied permission. ‘They called me late at night, but I don’

Georgia’s Ministry of Justice. Official photo.

Freedom of Expression

Georgia registers first organisations as foreign agents

by OC Media

•2 min read

The Georgian government has begun registering organisations as foreign agents in its public registry, two months after launching the online registration portal. The Ministry of Justice added five organisations to the database on Monday, with at least six more being added on Tuesday. The first five were the Ukrainian Youth Organisation of Georgia-Svitanok, the Professional Union of Farmers and Agricultural Workers of Georgia, the Kutaisi Youth Home, the Union of Christians, and the Jewish

US President Joe Biden and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Illustration by OC Media.

Freedom of Assembly

Biden snubs Georgian PM Kobakhidze by revoking UN reception invite

by OC Media

•2 min read

The White House has disinvited Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Georgia’s delegation from a reception for world leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. On Wednesday, the US Embassy in Georgia told local media that Kobakhidze’s invitation to the reception was revoked due to his government’s anti-democratic actions, misinformation, and negative rhetoric about the US and the West. Voice of America reported the snub on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources including a se

US Ambassador Robin Dunnigan and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Official image.

Alt Info

Kobakhidze says Washington was ‘influenced’ to sanction Georgian nationals

by OC Media

•3 min read

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has said that he believed US President Joe Biden’s administration was ‘influenced’ by ‘certain forces’ to impose sanctions on Georgian nationals, suggesting that American institutions needed ‘de-oligharchisation’. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Kobakhidze said that the decision to impose financial sanctions on four Georgian nationals, in addition to travel restrictions on over 60 others, was ‘frivolous and very sad’. He further suggested that the

Freedom of Speech

Foreign agent law protestor sentenced to four years in prison

by OC Media

•2 min read

Tbilisi City Court has sentenced foreign agent law protester Giorgi Shanidze to four years in prison, months after his arrest at a mass protest against the controversial foreign agent law. Shanidze was arrested on 9 May on charges of damaging a surveillance camera in the vicinity of the Georgian parliament during the rally. He was later additionally charged with growing cannabis. According to local media, Shanidze was sentenced to a year and a half in prison for damaging the surveillance

A screengrab of Georgian Dream's election campaign ad.

2024 Georgian Parliamentary Elections

Opposition TV channel sanctioned for refusing to air Georgian Dream election ad

by OC Media

•2 min read

The Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) satisfied the ruling Georgian Dream party’s complaint against the opposition channel Mtavari Arkhi, and has filed a violation protocol against the TV company for not airing its political advertisement. GNCC stated on Wednesday that according to Mtavari Arkhi, the advertisement’s placement might be against the prohibition of spreading hate speech as stated in the Broadcasting Law. During the pre-election period, all community broadcast

Afgan Sadigov

Demonstration in Tbilisi against extradition of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov

by OC Media

•3 min read

A demonstration was held in front of the Government Chancellery of Georgia in support of Afgan Sadigov, an Azerbaijani journalist who has been detained in Georgia while awaiting a court decision regarding extradition to Azerbaijan. On Tuesday, around two dozen local journalists and activists, together with Afgan Sadigov’s wife and two children, gathered to show solidarity and demand Sadigov’s release. Sadigov, the head of the Azerbaijani news outlet and YouTube channel Azel.TV, was originall