Georgia’s ranking in the Press Freedom Index of the Paris-based press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Sans Frontiers – RSF) took a dramatic decline from 60th to 89th place in a new survey released on Monday.
While the report focused on the “unprecedented number of physical assaults on journalists in 2021” it also stressed that the broader role of the “Official interference undermines efforts undertaken to improve press freedom.”
Specifically focusing on the July 5, 2021 mass violence organized by Russia-linked extremists, the RSF said that “Verbal attacks and physical assaults on journalists are common. Aggressors include senior government officials, especially during election campaigns. A lynch mob’s sustained and brutal assault on 50 reporters during homophobic counter-demonstrations in July 2021, under the gaze of security forces, marked an unprecedented setback. The absence of transparency and of progress in investigations of the event demonstrate the impunity enjoyed by those who commit crimes against journalists.”
The RSF also touched upon the reports of wiretapping of public figures, including of the Orthodox Christian clergy by the security services, violating the confidentiality of journalists’ sources.
The watchdog also emphasized the government interference into the work of public media as well as strong political polarization of the private media market.
While positively assessing Georgia’s legal framework on freedom of speech and expression, the report said that in contrast to previous reforms to enhance media pluralism and transparency, the Georgian authorities came up with new initiatives, particularly the reform of the Law on Electronic Communications that “target media that criticize them through censorship, searches, and intimidation.”
In comparison, Moldova takes 40th place Armenia ranks 51st.
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