The hearing of Netgazeti journalist Mariam Dzidzaria, who is facing up to 15 day detention for covering protest, was postponed just minutes after it began. Judge Tornike Kapanadze has not yet set a date for the next session.
The postponement request was made by Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia representative Tinatin Kachkachishvili, who said additional time was needed to gather evidence.
Dzidzaria’s lawyer, Nika Simonishvili, noted that the administrative violation report had been issued about a month and a half ago and questioned why that time was not sufficient for the Ministry to collect the evidence.
“Our position is that this material should have been submitted long ago. This shows a disrespectful and irresponsible attitude toward the court and the process,” Simonishvili said.
The lawyer also requested that if the Ministry obtains any evidence of Dzidzaria’s alleged offense in the future, it should be shared with the defense in advance.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses Dzidzaria of “blocking the road” on January 31 during the weekly Saturday March, while she was performing her professional duties. The report against the reporter was filed under Article 174¹, Paragraph 5 of the Administrative Offenses Code, which provides for a fine of up to 5,000 GEL or up to 15 days of administrative detention.
This is not the only administrative offence case concerning Mariam Dzidzaria – she was fined 5,000 Lari on the similar accusation, and a court hearing is expected to be scheduled. The fine was issued in October 2025, before the tightening of regulations.
As journalists from various outlets were receiving fines for covering protests alongside Dzidzaria, she took extra precautions and called the hotline to check whether any fines had been issued in her name. That is when she accidentally learned about a fine issued on October 1, 2025. By that time, the period for appeal had already passed, so Dzidzia’s lawyer filed a complaint citing the failure to provide timely notification. Enforcement of the fine was then put on hold, and a court hearing is now expected to be scheduled.
Judge Kapanadze is also hearing the case of Tabula Journalist Mariam Kuprava, who is similarly accused of “blocking the road” during the weekly Saturday March on February 7, while performing her professional duties.
Kapanadze held a hearing in Kuprava’s case on Monday, March 23, but postponed the decision. Her next hearing is scheduled for March 31 at 11:00 a.m.
On the same day, two more hearings involving journalists took place. Judge Davit Makaradze dismissed the case against photojournalist Giorgi Tarkhnishvili. The Ministry had filed an administrative violation report against him for standing on the sidewalk in front of Parliament on December 18, 2025, while performing his professional duties.
Today, the court also heard the case against MediaChecker journalist Ninia Kakabadze, postponing the announcement of its decision to April 21. She was detained on November 3, 2025 and released as a mother of minor under 12 years old. Her case hearing had been postponed to this day.
On March 19, Judge Tornike Kapanadze also dismissed the case against Zuka Khidasheli, who had been accused by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of standing on the sidewalk on December 18, 2025. Like Dzidzaria and others, Khidasheli was performing professional duties.
Mariam Dzidzaria is not the first Batumelebi&Netgazeti journalist to face such threats. In 2025, the company’s co-founder and media manager, Mzia Amaglobeli, was first detained administratively (for placing a poster on a building) and then criminally (for allegedly slapping a police officer, Dgebuadze) and remains in unlawful detention. She was found liable in two administrative offense cases and convicted in a criminal case, receiving a two-year prison sentence on politically motivated charges.
On the same day of Amaglobeli’s arrest, under Dgebuadze’s orders, another Netgazeti journalist, Guram Murvanidze, was administratively detained while covering a protest and performing his professional duties. Despite this, Guram was sentenced to eight days in detention.
Several journalists of Batumelebi&Netgazeti have been fined like many other journalists with the accusation of artificially blocking the road while performing journalistic duties.
As for Mariam’s current case, it is being heard by Judge Tornike Kapanadze, who is known for frequently fining and sending to administrative detention protesters who walk on the roadway or stand on sidewalks during demonstrations.
Mariam Dzidzaria was notified of her court hearing only after it became known that the Council of Europe’s “Safety of Journalists Platform” had raised an alert regarding her case and demanded its immediate termination.
