Georgian authorities have revoked the short-term residence permit of French photographer Francis Nicolas Prymerski. The photographer, who had lived in Georgia for years, had publicly criticised the ruling Georgian Dream party and covered anti-government protests.
According to a document released by Prymerski on Facebook, his residence permit was extended by the Justice Ministry’s Public Service Development Agency on 9 March 2026 for a year.
However, shortly thereafter, on 25 March, the agency effectively invalidated the initial decision and discontinued the photographer’s permit.
One of the grounds for the revocation cited in the document is a provision of the law on foreigners and stateless persons, stating that one’s right to stay in the country may be terminated if they perform an activity that ‘poses a threat to the state security of Georgia’. The agency has not provided an explanation as to what threat Prymerski posed to the country.
Yousef Bardouka
In posts published after the decision, Prymerski spoke about his close ties to Georgia, recounting how he had been producing work on its culture, folklore, traditions, and contemporary realities, before later turning to covering protest movements amid shifts in the political landscape.
Prymenski had criticised the ruling Georgian Dream policies on several occasions on social media.
‘This sudden change is not an administrative error; It’s a political decision’, he noted while assessing the revocation decision, adding that it happened ‘without any explanation’.
The photographer further noted that ‘out of respect for this country, and for the people who have stood by me here, I will begin a legal battle’.
‘I will pursue this all the way, if necessary, even to [the ECHR in] Strasbourg’, he said.
OC Media has contacted the Justice Ministry seeking additional information about Prymerski’s case.
Since 2024, Georgian authorities have been increasingly accused of barring Western journalists and other figures from entering the country. This happened against the backdrop of a state crackdown on media, civil society, and opposition politicians.
Publicly known cases included that of the Lithuanian women’s rights advocate Regina Jegorova-Askerova, who had lived in Georgia for 15 years. She was denied entry into the country in March 2025.
Throughout 2025, several journalists and photographers from France, Switzerland and Netherlands, as well as Romanian comedian Victor Patrascan and former US diplomat and civil society consultant Maggie Osdoby Katz, were denied entry to the country.
In most cases, border authorities refuse to elaborate on why they were denying foreign journalists and public figures access to the country, and instead providing them with a document stating they were denied entry due to ‘other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation’.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
