Davit Mchedlidze

Affiliated media: Radio Liberty, Journalist

Incident date: October 26, 2024

Attack type:

• Bullying, intimidation, pressure, threats of violence and death, including cyber-

Who attacked: Non-authorities

Source: Radio Tavisupleba

Location: Georgia, Rustavi

Additional information:

On 26 October 2024, during the parliamentary elections in Georgia, Radio Tavisupleba, the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported that its journalist, Davit Mchedlidze, was obstructed while performing his duties at a polling station in Rustavi. Mchedlidze was documenting individuals near the station who were allegedly monitoring voters when he faced verbal abuse. Rusudan Mchedlidze, a representative of the "Coalition for Change" in the Rustavi district, witnessed the incident. She told Radio Tavisupleba that unidentified individuals were unlawfully present in the polling station area. She reported this twice to the Ministry of Internal Affairs hotline, but no patrol officers had arrived as of yet. The journalist has been abused verbally and unidentified individuals tried to take away his phone.