PEN Georgia, which brings together more than 70 writers and has been a member of PEN International—the world’s oldest association of writers and journalists—since 1991, has expressed solidarity with detained TV host Vakho Sanaia.
The organization demands the immediate overturning of the court ruling placing him in custody. According to the authors of the statement, the arrest of the journalist constitutes a crime.
“This decision is yet another piece of evidence that the dismantling of democratic institutions and the consolidation of authoritarian rule in Georgia have turned freedom of expression into a direct target for repression.
In a country where journalists and citizens are arrested for criticizing the authorities, and free speech becomes grounds for punishment, democracy no longer exists.
Vakho Sanaia’s arrest cannot be viewed as an isolated incident—it is part of a systemic policy of cracking down on dissent and intimidating citizens,” the statement reads.
As a reminder, on October 19, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Sanaia to 30 days of administrative detention. The journalist is accused of insulting Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and Tbilisi Sakrebulo (city council) member Lado Bozhadze. The case was triggered by two posts and a video published on Sanaia’s personal Facebook page.