The one who once helped us build these impregnable walls destroyed us: Opposition TV channel in Georgia stops broadcasting

The Georgian opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi has stopped broadcasting due to financial difficulties, according to a statement issued by the channel.

“We endured the impossible, but, as unfortunately often happens in Georgia’s history, our fortress was broken from the inside; the external enemy could not defeat us. It was destroyed by the very person who once helped build these impregnable walls. One of our founders contributed to the closure of Mtavari Arkhi for personal gains or revenge,” reads the statement.

The channel operated for five years and eight months, during which it faced numerous difficulties. After ceasing broadcasts, only the digital section of Mtavari Arkhi will remain—social media accounts and the channel’s website will be updated.

In December 2024, Executive Director of Mtavari Arkhi Giorgi Gabunia announced that one of the owners, businessman Zaza Okuashvili, had decided to shut down the station. Gabunia accused Okuashvili of acting in the interests of the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party. In mid-February, the channel limited its broadcasts, halting live programs, including news reports, due to a financial crisis.

Mtavari Arkhi was founded in 2019 by current opposition politician Nika Gvaramia, who previously headed the Rustavi 2 TV channel. After losing court cases, Rustavi 2 changed ownership and ceased to be an opposition channel, while Gvaramia, together with a team of journalists, established Mtavari Arkhi, continuing an editorial policy opposed to the current government.