Non-governmental organizations release statements regarding the detention of journalist Vakho Sanaia

Court decision and charges

Judge Tornike Kochkiani sentenced TV Formula presenter Vakho Sanaia to 30 days of administrative detention. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accused the journalist of verbally insulting political officials, specifically Shalva Papuashvili and Vladimir Bozhadze, due to posts published on social media. It is noteworthy that in July, Sanaia spent 14 days in a temporary detention isolator, which was also linked to a post published on social media. Formula+1

Assessments by organizations

Transparency International - Georgia states that Vakho Sanaia is being punished for exposing the regime of Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream, for his principled position, and for his fight for a European future. According to the organization's assessment, the pressure exerted on independent media and legal manipulations are part of an authoritarian system. Formula+2

According to the Democracy Research Institute, detaining a person for expressing an opinion contradicts the Constitution of Georgia and the European Convention on Human Rights. The organization believes that the term of administrative detention and the conditions in the isolator are disproportionate. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics assesses that this decision serves to suppress critical voices and indicates democratic backsliding in Georgia. Formula+3