Georgian Dream continues its campaign of attacks and harassment against critical media outlets. Recently, their particular target has been the television company TV Pirveli, which has been subjected to sustained, coordinated assaults by ruling party leaders, high-ranking officials, state institutions, and affiliated propaganda television channels and platforms. These actors seek to discredit, intimidate, silence, and ultimately eliminate independent media organizations that maintain editorial autonomy and adopt a critical stance toward government policies - particularly those that expose the ruling party’s potential overreach of authority, abuse of power, or alleged corruption. It is noteworthy that TV Pirveli has produced multiple investigative reports concerning possible corrupt ties involving senior officials and agencies linked to Georgian Dream. Many of these individuals and institutions have recently become the subjects of high-profile investigations launched by the Prosecutor’s Office.

In an effort to discredit TV Pirveli and inflict reputational and financial harm, representatives of Georgian Dream and their affiliated actors employ a dual strategy. On the one hand, they launch verbal attacks against the broadcaster; on the other hand, they initiate court proceedings against the television company on the basis of alleged “defamation,” demanding substantial sums in “compensation for moral damages.” Such actions create the impression that their primary objective is to financially weaken the outlet, disrupt its operations, curtail its editorial independence, and ultimately eradicate critical journalism altogether. These measures are accompanied by organized disinformation and propaganda campaigns targeting the channel, aimed at undermining its public reputation and eroding audience trust.

The campaign of discreditation and attacks against TV Pirveli conducted by the Georgian Dream team is a clear example of the difficult conditions under which critical media operate in Georgia. For years, the ruling party has actively sought to suppress critical, independent media and completely eradicate freedom of speech and expression in the country by employing political, legal, financial, and propagandistic levers. As a counterbalance, it offers society an artificial reality shaped exclusively from its own interests and perspective.

It is evident that Georgian Dream is greatly unsettled by the investigative reports of TV Pirveli, which expose alleged cases of corruption, nepotism, and possible abuses of power involving government officials. Instead of investigating and addressing these concerns, Georgian Dream has chosen to punish critical media outlets and independent journalists. The intensified attacks against the broadcaster and its journalists - manifested in so-called SLAPP lawsuits, as well as in campaigns of discreditation and disinformation - serve as clear indicators of this approach.

Despite numerous attempts and considerable efforts, at this critical juncture for the country, independent Georgian media actively resist the repressive policies of the violent system. Even under conditions of limited resources, they continue on a daily basis to provide the public with accurate information and to create an alternative informational space that counters government propaganda. Georgian Dream seeks to obstruct these efforts through various repressive laws.

The following provides only a partial overview of the various forms of attacks and attempts at harassment carried out by the ruling party against TV Pirveli, which vividly illustrate the difficult circumstances and hostile environment in which critical and independent media outlets, as well as journalists more broadly, are compelled to operate.

Involvement of High-Ranking Officials in the Campaign to Discredit TV Pirveli

Over the past several years, TV Pirveli has been an active target of verbal attacks and discreditation campaigns. Particularly alarming is the direct involvement of high-ranking officials in these efforts. Such officials, seeking to damage the reputation of the broadcaster and its journalists and to erode public trust in them, do not refrain from using derogatory epithets and, moreover, frequently engage in the deliberate dissemination of unverified information about them. For example:

• In September 2025, the Prime Minister from Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, declared that the opposition parties Lelo and For Georgia had nominated as their candidate for the mayoralty of the capital the individual [Irakli Kupradze] whom, according to Kobakhidze, Lelo’s leader, Mamuka Khazaradze, allegedly sent to TV Pirveli every month ‘carrying a bag with 200,000 GEL.’
• In July 2025, Georgian Dream’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, alleged that the head of TV Pirveli’s news division and host of the weekly investigative program Nodar Meladze’s Saturday, Nodar Meladze, received directives and funding for disseminating specific information from former Georgian Dream associates suspected of corruption. Kobakhidze further labeled Meladze as “corrupt,” “sold for money,” and “the wretched child of corruption” - remarks that constitute a clear instance of defamation.
• In July 2025, Irakli Kobakhidze linked the attempted suicide of the Chairman of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Tornike Rizhvadze, to reports produced by TV Pirveli and Formula. In doing so, he effectively equated journalistic work and the preparation of investigative materials concerning specific public officials with the act of encouraging suicide - a particularly grave accusation and a direct attempt to interfere with editorial independence.
• In July 2025, similar rhetoric was echoed by the then leader of Georgian Dream’s parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, who stated that “Levan Khabeishvili [former chairman of the United National Movement], Nodar Meladze, TV Pirveli, and so forth insure certain corrupt insertions at the request of certain individuals.” He further emphasized that the corruption allegations against Tornike Rizhvadze originated from the so-called “UNM media” and “UNM journalists.”

Involvement of Propaganda Media and Social Platforms in the Campaign to Discredit TV Pirveli

In coordinated alignment with high-ranking officials, TV Pirveli has also become a direct target of attacks from pro-government propaganda channels, social media platforms affiliated with Georgian Dream, and television outlets that openly pursue a pro-Russian editorial policy. Particularly active in this regard is the television company POSTV, 52 percent of whose shares are owned by Viktor Japaridze, a member of parliament elected on the Georgian Dream party list.

• POSTV actively produces various mocking and discrediting so-called “cards,” portraying TV Pirveli’s journalists as opposition propagandists and labeling the channel itself as the “pocket network” of Mamuka Khazaradze, the leader of the opposition party Lelo. Headlines such as “Khazaradze’s TV Pirveli Against the Church and the Patriarch” and “The Fabricated Reality of TV Pirveli” are only a small sample of the materials prepared by POSTV about the channel. The clear objective of such content is to damage the image of this critical broadcaster and to incite public distrust and hostility toward it.
• Most recently, TV Pirveli also became the target of attacks by Sezoni TV, a broadcaster with an openly pro-Russian editorial policy. One of its anchors referred to TV Pirveli and its female journalists using extremely offensive epithets, for which the Communications Commission imposed a fine of 2,500 GEL. However, the Commission ultimately concluded that the anchor’s language did not fall within the classification of hate speech.
• The Facebook page “Sinadadebashi” (In Reality), affiliated with Georgian Dream, also actively attacks TV Pirveli. This page often echoes POSTV’s narrative by portraying TV Pirveli’s journalists as being engaged in “false propaganda” and “instruments of radical opposition propaganda,” while characterizing the channel itself as “Mamuka Khazaradze’s TV Pirveli.” Purportedly after fact-checking, the page attempts to expose the broadcaster as engaged in “falsehoods” and “lies,” thereby aiming to foment public distrust and skepticism toward the television outlet.

SLAPP Lawsuits Against TV Pirveli and the Abuse of the Judicial System

One of the most perilous forms of persecution against critical media is the use of so-called SLAPP lawsuits (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation). The ultimate goal of these lawsuits is to financially weaken and break critical broadcasters, who already operate under limited financial resources, effectively silencing them. These actions have a chilling effect and serve to suppress matters of public interest through judicial means, thereby unlawfully restricting freedom of speech and expression.

As of 2025, nearly 20 such lawsuits have been filed solely against TV Pirveli. Almost all of these cases have been initiated by government representatives or individuals affiliated with them, with the majority seeking substantial amounts in compensation for “moral damages.”

Below is a partial list of these cases:

• TV Pirveli was sued in court by Tamar Zaalishvili, the mother of Georgian Dream’s incumbent Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze. The court ordered the television station to pay 5,555 GEL in damages.
• TV Pirveli was also sued by David Patsatsia, the son-in-law of Irakli Kobakhidze and Minister for Internally Displaced Persons of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia. The court ordered TV Pirveli to pay Patsatsia 15,000 GEL. Initially, Patsatsia sought a symbolic amount of 1 GEL from TV Pirveli, but later increased the compensation claim to as much as 30,000 GEL.
• Kakha Kaladze, the General Secretary of Georgian Dream and Mayor of Tbilisi, demanded a more substantial sum - 100,000 GEL - from TV Pirveli. Ultimately, the court ordered TV Pirveli and its journalist to pay 15,000 GEL in damages.
• Alexander Chikaidze, former Minister of Internal Affairs for Georgian Dream, also demanded 100,000 GEL from TV Pirveli. The court ultimately ordered the television company and its journalist to pay Chikaidze 10,000 GEL in damages.
• In 2024, TV Pirveli was sued in court by the family of Irakli Garibashvili, former Prime Minister from Georgian Dream.
• TV Pirveli also faced a lawsuit from Juansher Burjuladze, former Minister of Defense.
• In 2021, TV Pirveli was also taken to court by Jaba Futkaradze, former Minister of Finance and Economy of Adjara.
• In 2021, Gela Kvashilava, the head of a unit within the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Main Directorate of the Patrol Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, filed a lawsuit against TV Pirveli.
• In 2024, alongside other media outlets, TV Pirveli was sued in court by Giorgi Kapanadze, also known as “Rija,” a businessman affiliated with Georgian Dream.
• Earlier, in 2023, TV Pirveli was sued in court by Nugzar Alughishvili, a businessman reportedly connected to the family of Irakli Garibashvili.
• Among the plaintiffs against TV Pirveli is Cartu Bank, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream. In July 2025, Cartu filed a lawsuit demanding that the television station cease referring to Ivanishvili or the bank as “an oligarch’s bank.” According to their claim, Ivanishvili has no connection to the bank he established. If the court upholds this demand, it would set an extremely dangerous precedent whereby the media would be unable to report on relationships between influential politicians and companies, constituting a blatant attempt to interfere with editorial and freedom of expression rights. Notably, Cartu also sued TV Pirveli in April 2023.
• Particularly alarming is one of the most recent lawsuits filed against TV Pirveli, in which a private individual is seeking an unprecedentedly large sum of 1 million GEL in compensation from the television company. Examination of the case materials raises reasonable suspicion and a substantiated assumption that this lawsuit may be orchestrated by specific interested parties aiming to inflict significant financial damage on the broadcaster, thereby putting its future operations into question.

Physical Attacks on Journalists

In addition to verbal and rhetorical assaults, journalists of TV Pirveli, along with representatives of other critical media outlets, have increasingly become targets of physical attacks carried out by various groups - encouraged, in many cases, by the ruling party Georgian Dream - including law enforcement officers. This has evolved into an alarming trend in recent years, indicating that journalism in Georgia has become an increasingly dangerous and life-threatening profession. As a consequence, the exodus of qualified journalists from the field has itself become a discernible pattern, while the recruitment of new professionals is proving ever more difficult.

In this regard, one of the most tragic moments for Georgian media occurred on July 5, 2021, when, during a protest against the so-called “March of Dignity,” violent and aggressive organized groups deliberately attacked media representatives and physically assaulted journalists. As a result, more than 50 members of the media were injured. Among them was TV Pirveli cameraman, Lekso Lashkarava, who was brutally beaten. After sustaining severe and life-threatening injuries, Lashkarava passed away a few days later.

The harmful practice of attacks against media representatives continued in subsequent years, further encouraged by inadequate institutional responses, protracted investigations, and the persistent impunity of perpetrators. For instance, in 2024, a record number of nearly 200 cases of violence against journalists were documented, including incidents involving law enforcement officers. In the previous year, during the coverage of pro-European protests, journalists were attacked even while broadcasting live. One such case involved TV Pirveli journalist Maka Chikhladze and her cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli, who were brutally assaulted on air by so-called “titushkas” - aggressive groups allegedly encouraged by the ruling party.

The alarming trend of last year has continued into the present year as well. In just the first four months of 2025, Transparency International – Georgia recorded nearly 90 such incidents. Alongside other representatives of the critical media, TV Pirveli journalists remain among the primary targets of these attacks.

Even when considering solely the example of TV Pirveli, it becomes evident that the creation of a hostile environment toward the media constitutes a deliberate policy of the ruling party, Georgian Dream. The government’s core narrative - that critical media outlets “speak only about negativity” - serves the purpose of fostering a false perception among citizens, as though the role of the media were not to hold power to account, but rather to disparage it. Evidently, the intention is to prevent the Georgian public from accessing information about possible ties between government officials and Russia, instances of corruption involving high-ranking officials, abuses of authority, violations of human rights, and numerous other problematic issues that critical media outlets in Georgia consistently expose.