On May 25, outside the office of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, an assembly in solidarity with journalists was held. Participants demanded prompt investigation into the alleged harassments of journalists and prosecution of officials who interfered with journalistic reporting, assaulted, verbally and physically abused or unlawfully detained journalists.

Number of journalists who apply to offices of the Georgian Media Legal Defense Center (GMLDC) in the regions and in Tbilisi for unlawful interference with their professional activities, has significantly increased. Frequently such cases involve insulting journalists and unlawfully interfering with their professional activities. We believe that immediate response to these unlawful actions and restitution of the violated rights is the responsibility of the state.

GYLA’s Georgian Media Legal Defense Center calls on the law enforcement to launch an immediate probe into all alleged harassments against journalists, since supporting media and creating safe environment for journalists to work in is of vital importance for a democratic state.