French Photojournalist Denied Entry to Georgia
French photojournalist Jérôme Chobeaux, who has been covering pro-EU, anti-regime protests in Tbilisi, was denied entry into the country on March 31.
“Couldn’t get past the airport and back on the plane… thanks for your messages,” Chobeaux wrote in an Instagram story.
Chobeaux had been actively covering the pro-EU demonstrations that have been going on in Tbilisi for more than 100 days. His Instagram feed includes numerous photos and collages depicting Georgian masked police detaining activists, including opposition leader Nika Melia. A February 3 post was captioned “Cops of the Hell”.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based press freedom watchdog, condemned the action against Chobeaux. The organization wrote that Chobeaux was “detained and deprived of his rights without explanation” upon his arrival in Tbilisi. “He is clearly paying the price for his work covering the demonstrations. The authorities must explain themselves and stop this harassment,” the international watchdog added.
Georgian authorities have not yet commented on the matter, and the motive behind the photojournalist’s entry denial remains unknown.
This incident follows a pattern of similar denials of entry to Georgia. In recent months, activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and politicians have reportedly been banned from entering the country for what many characterize as political reasons. Lithuanian human rights defender Regina Jegorova-Askerova was among those recently denied entry to Georgia.
This news may be updated…
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