Georgia — once the darling of post-Soviet democracy — is now making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Two French journalists were recently denied entry into the country after covering anti-government protests, sparking global outrage and raising chilling questions about media freedom in the increasingly authoritarian state.
Photojournalist Jerome Chobeaux and freelance reporter Clement Girardot — both seasoned professionals — were stopped at Tbilisi airport in February and March without any official explanation. What they did get, according to Girardot, was a spot on an Interior Ministry “stop list,” a bureaucratic way of saying: Don’t come back.
Both journalists had covered mass protests following Georgia’s controversial October parliamentary elections — an election critics allege was rigged to keep the ruling Georgian Dream party in power. The response? Crackdowns, police force, and now — border bans for foreign media.
Silencing the Outsiders
Georgia’s government hasn’t offered much more than stone-cold silence about the bans. Their border police didn’t respond to requests for comment, leaving journalists and activists speculating that the country is turning into a gated community for propaganda — one that punishes those brave enough to document dissent.
And it’s not just the French press feeling the heat. Reports suggest several other foreigners, including long-term residents of Georgia, have also been denied entry since the protests. Many of them have one thing in common — their presence at anti-government demonstrations.
In the months before the election, reporters from Switzerland and Czechia were also refused entry — a growing pattern that signals a coordinated crackdown.
Russia’s Shadow Over Tbilisi
Georgia’s flirtation with Russia is hardly subtle anymore. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Georgian authorities have ramped up their Russian-style censorship — including banning Russian opposition figures and journalists at the border.
It’s a heartbreaking turn for a country that once proudly waved the banner of democracy and LGBTQ rights in the post-Soviet region. Instead, Georgia now blames Ukraine and its Western allies for the conflict, while cozying up to Moscow’s authoritarian playbook.
Under the leadership of billionaire ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili — widely regarded as Georgia’s shadow ruler — the country has introduced draconian laws on so-called “foreign agents,” cracked down on LGBTQ rights, and iced its long-standing bid for EU membership.
The LGBTQ Community Feels the Chill
For Georgia’s LGBTQ community, the government’s clampdown on foreign media is more than just a press freedom issue — it’s a warning sign. The crackdown on foreign voices often precedes a crackdown on vulnerable communities. LGBTQ activists in Georgia, already struggling with rising hostility, fear the worst.
Without international media to spotlight injustices, marginalized groups risk being erased from the narrative entirely. When the cameras stop rolling, so does the world’s attention — a terrifying prospect for a community that has fought so hard for visibility and safety.
As Georgia drifts further from its democratic ideals, its LGBTQ citizens and their allies know the stakes couldn’t be higher. The question now is: who gets silenced next?