Seven participants of the October 4 protest have been granted bail after being charged with obstructing film crews from pro-government media outlets.
Six of the protesters were each released on 3,000 GEL bail, while civil activist and former TV host Irakli Tsulaia was assigned a 5,000 GEL bail. Despite this, Tsulaia remains in custody, as he is also serving administrative detention for “blocking the road.”
According to Radio Liberty, the defendants are: Giorgi Dushenko, Inga Papunashvili-Gabelia, Vakhtang Gabelia, Tamuna Kirtava, Maria Otinashvili, Aleksandre Tsnobiladze, and Irakli Tsulaia. Vakhtang Gabelia and Inga Papunashvili-Gabelia are husband and wife.
None of the defendants admit guilt.
Part of the group is accused of interfering with journalistic work by allegedly insulting a reporter. Six of them face charges of unlawfully obstructing a journalist’s professional activity — an offense that does not entail imprisonment.
However, Tsulaia faces a more serious charge of obstruction through threats of violence, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, along with possible fines or other measures.
The prosecution of these protesters takes place in a wider atmosphere of intimidation and violence targeting independent and critical journalists in Georgia. Over the past year, numerous journalists have been physically attacked, including during live broadcasts, and at least two required surgery due to their injuries. Others have had their equipment stolen or damaged, faced harassment, or been publicly insulted while reporting on protests and political events.
Although many of the attackers have been publicly identified by media and civil activists, none have faced justice, deepening concerns about selective law enforcement and the prevailing impunity for violence against the press.
