TBILISI, DFWatch–British journalist Will Neal, who has been a resident of Georgia since 2022, was denied re-entry into the country on May 20 after returning from a trip to the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Neal was turned away at the Armenian-Georgian border without a clear explanation, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which condemned the decision as “arbitrary” and “political,” calling for its immediate reversal.
Neal, known for his investigative reporting on corruption and political influence in Georgia, became the target of a smear campaign in April 2024 after publishing an investigation detailing business ties between U.K. private equity group Hunnewell Partners and EU-sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, a close associate of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party. Pro-government media outlets sought to portray Neal as a “Soros agent” involved in a “deep state” conspiracy against Georgia’s sovereignty.
The denial of entry to Neal and others has raised concerns among international observers about the state of democracy in Georgia, following months of political crisis after the November, 2024 parliamentary election, which the opposition claims was falsified.
Neal is reportedly stranded in Yerevan, Armenia, without access to his belongings in Tbilisi. RSF has called on Georgian authorities to reconsider their decision and allow Neal to return to his home and continue his journalistic work.
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