On May 16, 2022, the general director of Mtavari Arkhi TV, Nika Gvaramia, was sentenced by a judge to three years and six months in prison. The court found him guilty under Article 220 of the Criminal Code for abuse of power.

Human rights organizations, media outlets, and opposition party representatives condemned the verdict as illegal, politically motivated, and dangerous for independent media in Georgia.

A protest in support of Gvaramia took place in Batumi on the same day, May 16. Two days later, demonstrations spread to Tbilisi, where people marched from Republic Square to the Parliament building. Protesters carried banners reading “We won’t give up the media” and chanted “Freedom for Nika!”

On November 2, 2022, the Court of Appeals upheld Gvaramia’s imprisonment. On February 16, 2023, his supporters — including some members of the “Intellect Club,” where Gvaramia had once been a player — founded the movement “Freedom Movement for Nika Gvaramia.” Friends, activists, and professionals from various fields joined the initiative.

The movement organized rallies and met with political parties and international organizations.

On May 3, 2023 — World Press Freedom Day — journalists gathered near the President’s Administration on Orbeliani Street, calling on the president to pardon Nika Gvaramia. Another rally with the same demand was held at the same location on May 27. Protesters signed a banner reading “We choose a European future without political prisoners.”

On June 19, the Supreme Court of Georgia refused to review Gvaramia’s appeal.

President Salome Zurabishvili pardoned Nika Gvaramia on June 22, 2023.