**Georgian Journalists Face Heavy Fines for Doing Their Job**
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics is speaking out against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for imposing heavy fines on journalists under Article 174 prima of the Administrative Code of Georgia.
These fines are being given to journalists who were allegedly “artificially blocking roads.” But the Charter says that these journalists were just doing their job and had evidence to support this. They were wearing press passes and working with professional equipment, making it clear they were journalists.
The Charter has counted 13 cases where journalists have been fined for this reason, most of them in the capital city. They say this is a serious problem that needs to be fixed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the judicial system.
**Journalists Face Repression**
The Georgian Charter says that these fines are part of a bigger problem – the government‘s increasing pressure on media representatives since November 2024. Journalists have faced inhumane treatment, physical assaults, and arrests, even when they had clear evidence they were doing their job.
The Charter has listed specific cases where journalists have been fined, including those from Studio Monitor, TV Pirveli, Publika, Tabula, Mtavari Channel, Media April, Radio Liberty, Euronews, Ninth Wave TV Company, and others.
**The Impact on Journalists and Their Families**
The Georgian Charter says that these fines not only hinder journalists from doing their job but also create psychological pressure on their families. They have to spend time and resources trying to resolve the issues caused by these fines.
**A Deliberate Policy or a Systemic Problem?**
The Charter is unsure if this is a deliberate policy by the government to worsen the working environment of journalists or a serious systemic problem that needs to be fixed. But they are sure that something needs to change.
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