Affiliated media: Freelance photographer (Switzerland)

Incident date: September 29, 2025

Attack type:

• Ban on entering the country, denial or revocation of a visa / accreditation

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: OC Media

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi

Additional information:

Swiss photojournalist Gregor Sommer has been denied entry to Georgia after refusing to pay a ₾10,000 ($3,700) fine for allegedly ‘blocking the road’ during protests. Another journalist from Germany was held for hours at the border before paying a ₾5,000 ($1,900) fine — also for allegedly blocking a road. Sommer was denied entry after flying into Tbilisi on Sunday. He told OC Media on Wednesday that upon arriving, he was made to wait for about five minutes as the border guard conducted a check on him, following which a police officer escorted him away from the booth and told him that he had to pay two separate ₾5,000 fines for allegedly blocking the road during a protest. He was told that he had to leave Georgia after refusing to pay the fines.