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Two months ago, I fled my country — not because I wanted to, but because staying meant prison and silence. Living as a journalist in exile means poverty, loss of dignity, and constant uncertainty. This is what exile actually feels like, and why truth still matters even when the world wants it quiet.

On October 18, 2025, Georgian authorities detained 14 individuals during a protest on Tbilisi's Rustaveli Avenue. The Ministry of Internal Affairs cited offenses such as blocking traffic and concealing faces, actions now punishable under recent legislation. Among those detained were journalist Vakho Sanaia, co-anchor of TV Formula's main news program, and activists Levan Jobava and Shalva Chubinidze. Tbilisi City Court sentenced Jobava and Chubinidze to 14 days of administrat

One week ago, I was forced to leave Georgia — the country I love — and go into exile. For years, I worked as a journalist and TV host, exposing truth despite threats and violence. Today, as Georgian journalists are silenced and jailed, I continue my mission abroad: to speak truth to power, no matter the cost.

Being a journalist in Georgia means risking your safety to report the truth. Since 2023, more than 70 journalists have been beaten, pepper-sprayed, or attacked covering protests, evictions, and corruption. Despite violence and repression, Georgian journalists keep working—live-streaming, investigating, and exposing injustice—because silencing the press silences society.

On a freezing January morning in Tbilisi, I walked into an eviction with a microphone in hand and walked out beaten, bruised, and nearly arrested. Covering corruption in Georgia isn’t just a job — it’s a battle against private lender schemes, corrupt courts, and violent police. That day, my cameraman and I were attacked simply for doing our work as journalists. But our coverage didn’t just tell a story — it stopped another family from losing their home.