On 15 September 2024 Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka (Андрэй Мялешка) , was refused entry into the country upon his return from Poland. After the police pressure at the airport in Kutaisi / Kutaissi (ქუთაისი), he arrived in Warsaw on 17 September 2024. The official explanation for this denial, as cited by authorities, was based on “other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation.”
Mialeshka left Belarus due to political pressure by the state authorties and has been residing in Georgia since 2021. Mialeshka took to social media that he was being sent back to Poland without any clear justification. He shared that he had attempted to apply for international protection in Georgia, only to be told that, having lived in the country for three years, he should have applied earlier. Despite his efforts, he and his daughter were ultimately deported to Poland, leaving his wife and another child in Georgia. Andrei is working for Belarusian radio Radyjo Racyja (Радыё Рацыя –
https://racyja.com/by/). In 2014 a court in Belarus has imposed a fine against Mialeshka. He was found guilty of working for foreign media without being accredited by the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as the Belarusian‐language Radio Racyja, which broadcasts from Białystok in northeastern Poland
Just two days later, on 16 September 2024 another case emerged involving Armenian journalist Arsen Kharatyan, the founder and editor-in-chief of Aliq Media (https://www.aliq.ge/) and a former advisor to Armenian Prime Minister. Kharatyan was detained for four hours at Tbilisi, Georgia, International Airport before being denied entry and sent back to Europe. Despite holding a return ticket to Yerevan, Armenia, he was told that, according to Georgian law, individuals refused entry must be sent back to their point of origin. This incident followed a similar occurrence on 11 September 2024 where Kharatyan was briefly detained by Georgian border authorities at the same airport but was eventually allowed to enter. In response to these events, Kharatyan voiced suspicions that his deportation was politically motivated, potentially driven by instructions from foreign powers or domestic fears ahead of upcoming elections.
Both Mialeshka’s and Kharatyan’s cases raise concerns about potential political motivations behind these deportations, given their backgrounds in journalism. Both journalists have been outspoken about their experiences, raising alarms about media freedom and the treatment of foreign journalists in Georgia.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the recent denial of entry to Belarusian journalist Andrei Mialeshka and Armenian journalist Arsen Kharatyan by Georgian authorities. These actions, especially when framed with vague justifications like “other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation,” raise serious concerns about the infringement of press freedom and the possible political motivations behind such decisions. SEEMO will be closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the rights of journalists are respected and upheld in Georgia.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
#fyp #mediafreedom #seemo #freespeech #southeasteuropemediaorganisation #ngo #journalist #georgia #armenia #AndreiMialeshka #ArsenKharatyan #RadyjoRacyja #AliqMedia #SEEMO #pressfreedom #mediafreedom #freemedia