The International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors and journalists, condemns the recent denial of entry to Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka and Armenian media founder Arsen Kharatyan into Georgia.
On September 15, Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka, and his daughter, who have been living in Georgia for three years, were denied permission to re-enter the country after a trip to Poland. No explanation for the decision was provided beyond an official document citing “other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation” for the entry denial.
Mialeshka reported that they were held for several hours while their passports, laptops and mobiles were removed before being placed on a return flight to Poland. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), Mialeshka had left Belarus to escape political persecution and had been living in Georgia for the past three years with his family. Mialeshka’s wife and second child remain in Georgia where they face an uncertain future.
On September 16, 2024, Arsen Kharatyan, founder of Aliq Media and former adviser to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, also reported being denied entry to Georgia. Kharatyan, who is a former journalist with Voice of America (VOA), stated that he was detained for four hours at Tbilisi International Airport before being sent back to Europe. As Kharatyan wrote in his post on Facebook, he had lived in Georgia for five years.
A week earlier, on September 11, Kharatyan had also been briefly detained at Tbilisi International Airport before eventually being granted entry. On that occasion he was also handed a document citing “other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation” to explain the initial denial. On that occasion, however, he was eventually allowed to enter the country on the same day.
“Despite the ongoing decline in media freedom, Georgia continues to serve as a refuge for exiled journalists. However, the growing trend of denying reporters entry into the country, even those already residing there, is deeply concerning. The decision against Andrei Maleshka, which results in splitting up his family, is particularly cruel,” said Oliver Money-Kyrle, IPI’s Head of Europe Advocacy and Programmes . “The Georgian authorities must promptly address this matter and put an end to this harmful practice.”
Georgia has repeatedly denied entry to foreign journalists, with at least a dozen cases since 2022 involving journalists from independent Russian media outlets such as Dozhd TV, Meduza, Holod and Mediazona.
