On May 25, 2012, journalists held a protest in Tbilisi and several other Georgian cities, demanding the investigation of violence and pressure against media representatives. The demonstration took place in front of the Ministry of Justice. Protesters also addressed their appeal to the Georgian government as a whole and to the president, calling for accountability and urging the international community to respond to the ongoing intimidation of journalists.

During the solidarity rally near the Ministry of Justice in Tbilisi, participants highlighted that over the previous two months, there had been 20 documented cases of pressure on journalists in Georgia—none of which had been investigated. Among these cases was that of Gela Mtivlishvili, head of the Kakheti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti Information Centers, who was unlawfully detained by Tianeti police on May 20, assaulted, and had his video materials destroyed while filming a report about political persecution of Georgian Dream supporters.

Protesters also recalled that during the dispersal of the May 26, 2011 protest, 16 journalists had been injured, and their cases likewise remained uninvestigated.

While the demonstration was underway, Pavle Kublashvili, Chair of the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, left the Ministry of Justice building and briefly addressed the crowd. He acknowledged that interference with journalistic activity was a serious issue requiring special attention, adding, “For details, you should contact the Prosecutor’s Office.”