Czech journalist Ray Baseley was denied entry to Georgia without an explanation after arriving at Tbilisi airport on Oct. 22 to cover the upcoming parliamentary elections.
He is currently being held at the airport and should be deported in two days, his partner told the Kyiv Independent.
As Georgians head to the polls on Oct. 26, thousands rallied in Tbilisi last weekend to demonstrate support for EU membership in the face of democratic backsliding and the Moscow-friendly direction of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Baseley, a freelancer from whom the Kyiv Independent agreed to commission stories covering the Georgian elections, wrote on X on Oct. 22 that he had been refused entry after arriving by plane without explanation.
"Today at 19:30 I was refused entry into the country of Georgia without reasoning or any further explanation, this is unacceptable, even the local border force doesn’t know why I wasn’t allowed entry," Baseley wrote.
He posted a photo of the entry refusal form on social media. The document does not explain the reason, marking "Other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation" as grounds for the decision.
Hello Georgians, Journalists and Czechs. Today at 19:30 I was refused entry into the country of Georgia without reasoning or any further explanation this is unacceptable even the local border force doesn’t know why I wasn’t allowed entry. Anyone who can help please write to me. pic.twitter.com/4HGh3xY9ma
— RayBaseley 🇺🇦🇬🇪 (@RayBaseley) October 22, 2024
The journalist's partner, Ukrainian Maria Kaplina, told the Kyiv Independent later the same day that Georgian authorities had taken Baseley and that she had lost contact with him.
Kaplina got in touch with him only the following day after Baseley was allowed to make a phone call.
"The current situation is that Ray is still in the Tbilisi airport. No one explained to him why they are keeping him there or why they are deporting him," Kaplina told the Kyiv Independent.
"This is a totally illegal action, and they're keeping him there for more than 17 hours. The (Czech) consul and a lawyer are working now to be able to enter the facility where they keep him. Authorities are preparing to deport him in two days."
A Czech Foreign Ministry spokesperson told the Kyiv Independent that Prague is aware of the situation and has reached out to Georgian authorities regarding the case.
"Our consul is in contact with his (Baseley's) loved ones, and she has sent an official note to the Georgian Foreign Ministry, requesting information about his current location and the reason for his detention and denial of entry," spokesperson Daniel Drake said.
Baseley is a Prague-based journalist who has also broadly covered Russia's war against Ukraine as a freelance reporter.
He has also made an interview with Mamuka Mamulashvili, the head of the Georgian Legion fighting against Russia in Ukraine. Fighters of this unit have come under investigation by Georgian authorities upon returning home.
Baseley previously reported on protests in Tbilisi that broke out in the spring over the adoption of a "foreign agents" law by the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The legislation, which has been compared to a similar law in Russia, was aimed at NGOs and media organizations receiving funding from abroad. Its adoption was seen as a signal of the democratic backsliding and deteriorating media freedom under the Georgian Dream.
Dmytro Basmat
