Czech journalist Ray Baseley was denied entry to Georgia, according to his post on X (formerly Twitter). “Hello Georgians, Journalists and Czechs. Today at 19:30 I was refused entry into the country of Georgia without reasoning or any further explanation; this is unacceptable even, the local border force doesn’t know why I wasn’t allowed entry. Anyone who can help please write to me,” the journalist reported yesterday, October 22.
The journalist messaged Studio Monitor that officials were threatening to confiscate his phone, after which contact with him was lost.
Baseley last visited Georgia in spring, when he actively covered protests against the so-called “Russian law”
The Charter of Journalistic Ethics has responded to the journalist’s denied entry, calling on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to immediately allow the Czech/British journalist Ray Baseley into Georgia so he can perform his professional duties.
On the same issue, the Democracy Research Institute (DRI) notes that the state is obligated to ensure, within legal boundaries, support for both local and foreign journalists and access to information they need to cover the ongoing elections in Georgia. The Democracy Research Center believes that if the practice of denying entry to foreign journalists continues for vague and unclear reasons, this will reflect on the quality of elections and will have a negative impact on the country’s democratization.
