In 2024, during the discussions on the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence and accompanying protests, non-governmental and media organizations became targets of politically motivated vandalism. Media Development Foundation was among the targets. MDF’s office was vandalized twice, while the executive director and other staff members received various types of threats due to their professional activities.
On May 9 early morning, masked individuals plastered posters and left inscriptions on the walls at the entrance of the Media Development Foundation’s office, labeling organization’s executive director, Tamar Kintsurashvili as “Executor of foreigners' orders,” “Spreading lies with foreign money,” and “There is no place for agents in Georgia.” The masked individuals also stamped the phrase “grant-eating agent” on the wall.
In the early hours of June 1, a second act of vandalism was carried out against the Media Development Foundation's office. Footage from surveillance cameras installed on the building made it possible to identify individuals wearing black masks and helmets. They first sprayed paint on the office’s security camera to avoid from being recorded. Then, they left inscriptions on the walls, labeling MDF staff as "pseudo-liberal fascists," "traitors to the homeland," "agents" and "slaves."
Notably, this incident coincided with the publication of a list of non-governmental organizations on the personal Facebook page of Dimitri Samkharadze, a Member of Parliament from the ruling party, Georgian Dream. This list, accompanied by a video collage depicting the vandalism of their premises, included a caption stating, "Stateless agents and neo-fascists received an answer yesterday." Moreover, the pro-government propaganda TV channel POSTV covered the nighttime vandalism against NGO offices directly from the incidents places (1, 2,3,4,5).
Before the attacks on the office, representatives of non-governmental organizations and activists, including employees of the Media Development Foundation, such as Tamar Kintsurashvili and her family members received intensive threatening phone calls. During the same period, there were also attempts by unauthorized individuals to access the email accounts of two staff members of the organization.
On July 29-30, MDF's executive director received 4 emails containing rape threats after the elections for her and team members of the fact-checking unit from an identifiable email belonging to Zaza Partsvania. In connection with the threats, the Human Rights Center (HRC), which represents the interests of MDF, appealed to the Prosecutor's Office on July 30. HRC considers the threats to be persecution related to professional activities. On August 7, the case was transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia; however, none of the law enforcement agencies have responded to the complaint until now.
Despite the appeal to law enforcement agencies, the threatening emails continued, as MDF’s Executive Director received an additional 2 emails on August 29 and September 6, voicing continued threats both against her and her family, as well as the entire MDF team. On September 20, MDF filed an additional appeal to the MIA, but no steps have been taken so far to launch an investigation into this case.
The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) and the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) have responded to the attacks against the Media Development Foundation (MDF) and sent an open letter to the leadership of the European Union. This letter urges the EU to ensure that Georgian authorities cease their harassment of fact-checkers and guarantee their colleagues' freedom of expression and information as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
The International Federation for Human Rights and Women Press Freedom have also condemned the attacks against non-governmental organizations.
Vandalic attacks were covered by international media organizations like VOA, Turkish fact-checking organization teyit, the French outlet Le Figaro, the Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the Irish publication The Journal, as well as the Dutch public broadcaster and the French television channel France Info.
