US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic Party) is calling on the Georgian authorities to release journalist Vakho Sanaia and “other political prisoners.”
“Freedom of expression is foundational to a functional democracy. The Georgian government’s disdain for dissent is another sign of its democratic decline. I call on the Georgian government to release Vakho Sanaia and the dozens of remaining political prisoners,” Shaheen wrote on social media.
“Freedom of expression is foundational to a functional democracy. The Georgian government’s disdain for dissent is another sign of its democratic decline. I call on the Georgian government to release Vakho Sanaia and the dozens of remaining political prisoners.» —@SenatorShaheen https://t.co/tfH6DLpi4O— Senate Foreign Relations Committee (@SFRCdems) July 23, 2026
As a reminder, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced journalist Vakho Sanaia to 14 days of administrative detention for a social media post concerning Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and MP Vladimer Bozhadze. The journalist was detained near his home.