During December 7-10, 2023, with the support of the MATRA program of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Georgia, IDFI conducted practical-simulation training on the right to public information for investigative journalists and media representatives.

The event was held within the framework of the project "Increase the access of media to public information in Georgia", the main goal of which is to strengthen and support evidence-based journalism by combating the systemic legal and practical challenges of access to public information. Increasing access to public information for journalists and reducing systemic legal obstacles to access to public information is the main purpose of the project.

The aim of the practical-simulation training on the right to public information was to strengthen the journalists' resilience to the artificial obstacles established for obtaining information from public institutions.

Among the issues discussed within the training were: the legal value of public information in a democratic society; Existing legal and "non-legal" methods after refusal to provide public information: detection, documentation and/or appeal; Evidence presented against journalists in SLAPP cases and the right to request public information; Important trends revealed in terms of response of public institutions to public information requests; The need for a new law on freedom of information and etc. Within the framework of the training, the participants successfully performed practical exercises based on real challenges.

The trainers of the 4-day intensive course were Maya Kopaleishvili, professor of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, former judge of the Constitutional Court, Eduard Marikashvili, chairman of the Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI), Giorgi Davituri, Head of IDFI's rule of law and media freedom department, Goga Tushurashvili, Head of the research department of IDFI.

Investigative journalists and media representatives from Tbilisi and different regions of Georgia took part in the practical-simulation training on the right to public information. In particular: from Samtskhe-Javakheti, Imereti, Kakheti, Adjara, Shida and Kvemo Kartli. 15 representatives of different media took part in the event.