The United Kingdom and Finland, current co-chairs of the 51-member Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), have raised concerns over what they describe as “troubling trends” in Georgia’s media environment, in a joint op-ed marking World Press Freedom Day and supported by the Coalition’s fourteen other member states. The statement, released by the British Embassy in Tbilisi on May 4, was endorsed by Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden.
It also called for the release of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a jailed journalist and founder of Netgazeti and Batumelebi outlets. “At a time when international peace feels fragile and democracy is under strain, we are proud to stand with those journalists who continue to work courageously in Georgia,” the statement said.