Public Broadcaster Re-elects Vasil Maghlaperidze as Board Chairman Amid Protests

The Georgian Public Broadcaster’s board of trustees reelected Vasil Maghlaperidze as its board chairman for a six-year term on April 3, despite protests from critics who accuse him of promoting Russian propaganda and the demonstrators who have demanded his resignation rallying for the last several months near the GPB building.

Maghlaperidze, who ran as a sole candidate, received eight votes from the board. Three board members – Lika Basilaia-Shavgulidze, Zaza Abashidze, and Lasha Tughushi – voted against him. Maglaperidze cast a vote for himself.

Maghlaperidze previously served as the Deputy Chair of the Georgian Dream party in January-March 2021. He has held the position of the board chairman of the broadcaster since 2022. Prior to that, he was the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s General Director.

During the heated session, Shavgulidze confronted Maghlaperidze, accusing him of mistreating staff and spreading Russian propaganda.

Shavgulidze accused Maghlaperidze of “having treated people disgracefully”, “spreading Russian propaganda, serving Russian regime”and said that the Maghlaperidze has spread “A cascade of lies, which made people anxious, stressed, bullied, and intimidated with the Prosecutor’s Office…”

This was apparently a reference to a March 22 request to the prosecutor’s office by eight board members to investigate what they called “groundless accusations” by employees who have been critical of management.

Maghlaperidze indicated that he would not withdraw his candidacy.

Outside the broadcaster’s building, demonstrators gathered with a banner reading “People deserve the independent public broadcaster” and chanted “Shame! Russian propagandist!” as board members entered the meeting.

Two employees of the broadcaster, Nino Zautashvili, the host of the program Real Space, and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, a former news programme anchor who had been removed from air following his criticism of Maghlaperidze, were barred from attending the meeting where they had intended to pose “critical questions.”

Tughushi described the denial as “the unfortunate” reality surrounding the Public Broadcaster.

Among the protesters were journalist Guram Rogava, who was severely injured during pro-EU protests, and film director Salome Jashi, who described the board as a “repressive body that persecutes its own employees.”

The dissenting board member, Lasha Tughushi, and anchor Nino Zautashvili have been subject to an alleged slander campaign that accused them of receiving “illegal income” following their criticism of Maghlaperidze and GPB editorial policy. On March 27, pro-government media outlet TV Imedi claimed that some of the critical employees of public broadcasters had received “illegal income” from multiple organizations over several years. The George Soros’ Open Society Foundation was named as the main financier behind these alleged transactions. GD’s main mouthpiece asserted that Lasha Tugushi also received income from several organizations linked to George Soros. In response, Zautashvili denied the allegations, stating that she would sue the TV channel for disseminating what she described as disinformation.

The recent developments unfold against the backdrop of sustained protests outside the GPB buildings. Public discontent with the broadcaster has been mounting since the start of the pro-European demonstrations, when critics in particular accused GPB of neglecting to report on police crackdowns against protesters. The controversy escalated in December 2024 as demonstrators called for access to live broadcasts to challenge what they viewed as Georgian Dream government-influenced narratives.

Also Read:

• 05/02/2025 – Public Broadcaster Takes Critical News Anchor Off Air
• 30/01/2025 – GPB Management Under Fire at Board Meeting Amid Ongoing Protests

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