October 11, 2024 - Georgia, Tbilisi

Tbilisi City Court orders TV Pirveli and journalist Sophiko Niauri to pay $3,700 to former Minister Aleksandre Chikaidze in a defamation case.

Chikaidze sought compensation for “moral damages” over a report on fraudulent call center detentions. This SLAPP case highlights the misuse of legal tools to silence critical journalism—a disturbingly common tactic in Georgia.

Women Press Freedom denounces the ruling and urges it be overturned on appeal. We demand an end to vexatious lawsuits targeting journalists for their work.