“It is always important to ensure the safety of journalists. Journalists play a vital role in every democracy by keeping the public informed. This is especially true during the Parliamentary election period and when their work is made even more challenging by the COVID pandemic,” Ambassador Degnan told local civil society representatives during a briefing on Georgia’s pre-election environment.

“Over the past weeks, we’ve received increasing reports of Georgian journalists being threatened or injured. Responsible journalism is a fundamental pillar of democracy and is essential to the election process. Media informs the Georgian people about the candidates and parties and about their positions on important issues. The rights of journalists must be respected,” she said.

Ambassador Degnan met with representatives of several Georgian civil society organizations that partner with the U.S. government through USAID to help ensure legitimate and credible Parliamentary elections in Georgia. Ambassador Degnan encouraged the civil society representatives to carefully monitor and report on how journalists are treated during this election period.