Georgia: Accreditation of Three Women Journalists Revoked — CFWIJ Condemns Restricting Free Press
Location: Georgia, Tbilisi
Date: April 7, 2023
The Parliament of Georgia revokes accreditation of TV reporters Sopo Gozalishvili, Tatia Tsotsonava, and Rusudan Dumbadze. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the country's curtailing of free press.
On April 7, 2023, the accreditation of Sopo Gozalishvili — Formula, Tatia Tsotsonava — Mtavari, and Rusudan Dumbadze — Pirveli, was revoked after asking questions to members of parliament. This is the second round of suspensions since introducing a new media code of conduct a month ago.
Accreditation was repealed after journalists questioned MPs about sexual harassment claims involving the director of POSTV, and US sanctions imposed on several high-profile judges.
“It is the media's duty to ask questions; it is the MP's duty to answer,” Pirveli’s Nodar Meladze said in response. “We are not going to refuse the exercise of our journalistic rights.”
The TV stations are practically barred from covering parliament for a month, as the reporters cannot be replaced.
Dwindling Free Press
In March, parliament voted for a journalistic "code of conduct," prohibiting journalists from questioning MPs if they refuse to answer. Opposition and media advocacy organizations were concerned it would be used to suppress critical media outlets, such as the broadcasters the three women journalists work with.
The Media Advocacy Coalition says their fears are now proven justified. “Authorities are illegally restricting the constitutionally guaranteed rights of journalists to carry out their professional activity in the legislative body.”
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani, who says the suspensions are “discriminatory,” has called on Parliament to amend the law so it does not “cause unjustified interference in the activities of the media representative.”
According to the speaker of parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, revoking the journalists’ accreditation has legal grounds, as they were “harassing” the MPs.
Mtvari reporter Tsotsonava adamantly denies Papuashvili’s claims, adding that they were merely asking questions. “We did not chase after her on the stairs or anything like that,” she told OC Media.
Sexual harassment
Over the last couple of weeks, several women journalists have accused POSTV’s director Shalva Ramishvili of sexual harassment. In response, POSTV — a television station known for its pro-governmental stance — initiated a slander campaign against one of the accusers, Tatia Samkharadze. Samkharadze had previously won the country’s first sexual harassment case against Ramishvili.
Formula reporter Sopo Gozalishvili’s accreditation was revoked after she asked two members of parliament whether they “stood in solidarity” with Ramishvili’s victims.
“Obviously, this is another attempt to strangle critical media,” Gozalishvili told OC-Media.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is incredibly alarmed at the curtailing of free press in Georgia. Journalists are vital in creating and maintaining free and democratic societies. Without their ability to ask politicians and legislators critical questions about pressing issues, democracies cannot exist. We demand the Georgian government to revise its media code of conduct and reinstate Gozalishvili, Tsotsonava, and Dumbadze’s accreditation immediately.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
