Joint Statement of Media Organizations to the Diplomatic Corps
11.07.2021
Cases of violation of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level. Dozens of cases against the media are still uninvestigated. The authorities fail to ensure the safety of journalists, while the statements by the officials of the ruling party encourage the violence even more.

On July 5, 2021, during a demonstration against the "March of Dignity", members of a violent group deliberately attacked the media representatives, subjected them to physical and verbal abuse, and deliberately destroyed their equipment to obstruct their journalistic activities.

Despite the preliminary calls from the civil sector, the state has not taken appropriate measures to protect the media representatives. Insufficient police forces did not take measures to protect the journalists. Moreover, on July 5, before the start of the government session, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, laid the responsibility not upon the members of the demonstration but the organizers of the "March of Dignity" for the possible complication of the situation and called them not to hold the march on Rustaveli Avenue.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on July 5, 53 members of the media were injured, including the operator of TV Pirveli - Aleksandre Lashkarava, who was severely beaten by violent groups on July 5. Aleksandre Lashkarava died on July 11.

Part of the media representatives still remain in the hospital. Members of various violent groups continue to openly threaten journalists and cameramen, to which the law enforcement agencies do not respond accordingly. The organizers of the violent demonstration of July 5, whose identities are not known, have not been arrested either.

It should be noted that most of the facts of the attacks on journalists, obstruction of media activities and violence happened in the past have not been investigated so far and the issue of responsibility of the organizers of the violent groups has not been outlined.

We appeal to the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Georgia to respond immediately and effectively to the purposive persecution of media representatives on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5, the facts of damage to health, obstruction of professional duties and inaction of the Georgian government.

Signatories:

  1. Mtavari
  2. TV Formula
  3. Rustavi 2
  4. Tabula
  5. Imedi TV
  6. Kavkasia TV
  7. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics
  8. Adjara Public Broadcaster and Radio
  9. Georgian Public Broadcaster
  10. TV Pirveli
  11. Express News
  12. FaxInterNews
  13. Artarea TV
  14. Studio Monitor
  15. Georgian Times Radio
  16. Fact Check
  17. AT.ge
  18. Media Development Foundation
  19. Border Zone
  20. NNLE Media and Communication Educational and Research Center
  21. Radio Voice of Abkhazia
  22. Radio Dardimandi
  23. Alternative Professional Union of Adjara Public Broadcaster
  24. Media Holding Hereti: Radio Hereti FM102.8, Radio Tbilisi FM93.5,
  25. Radio Citrus FM97.3
  26. Radio Dzveli Kalaki
  27. Georgian Regional Radio Network TV
  28. Company New
  29. OC Media
  30. Eco-Fact
  31. Radio Holding Fortuna
  32. SOVA
  33. Batumelebi
  34. Newsreport
  35. On.ge
  36. Netgazeti
  37. InterPressNews.ge
  38. Blog SocReactive
  39. TSpress.ge
  40. Radio Atinati
  41. Metronome.ge
  42. Publika
  43. Civil.ge
  44. Internews-Georgia
  45. Media.ge
  46. Openrustavi.ge
  47. Palitranews;
  48. Radio Palitra
  49. Radio Marneuli
  50. Euronews Georgia
  51. FirstNews.ge
  52. Kutaisi Today
  53. Speqtri.ge
  54. Cnews
  55. Media Holding "Qronika +
  56. " Droa.ge
  57. Accentnews.ge
  58. Popmusic.ge
  59. Popsport.com
  60. Gurianews.ge
  61. Tok TV
  62. Media rights
  63. Journalism Resource Center
  64. Agrogaremo
  65. TV Alliance of Regional Broadcasters
  66. Radio Green Wave
  67. Radio Imedi
  68. Commersant
  69. JAMNews
  70. Reginfo.ge
  71. DailyInfo.ge
  72. News Agency Front News
  73. Front News International Kiev Office
  74. ifact.ge
  75. ipress.ge
  76. tv25
  77. Guria TV
  78. Metskhre talgha
  79. okribanews
  80. newpost
  81. pia.ge
  82. digest.ge
  83. funtime.ge
  84. tbiliselebi.ge
  85. exclusivetv.ge
  86. GHN
  87. geodigest.ge
  88. Europetime.eu

  89. ოდიში TV
  90. გურიის მოამბე
  91. Dianews
  92. report.ge
  93. AliQ Media
  94. Info Rustavi
  95. მეგა TV
  96. DiaNews
  97. Radio Mozaika
  98. Dia TV
  99. NewPress.ge
  100. Timer
  101. Radio WW
  102. Chemi kharagauli
  103. QvemoQartli.ge

     


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