"Imedi Staff Again Under Pressure"-- Giorgi Targamadze

Giorgi Targamadze, the head of Imedi's Political and Public Programs Department, stated at a video conference between Tbilisi and Moscow, held at RIA NOVOSTI's Tbilisi International Press Centre that the government continues to pressure Imedi staff. “Even during this video conference, the government threatens and blackmails our journalists,” Targamadze announced when he was asked about why many journalists have left Imedi. He went on to explain that on one hand, the government threatens journalists and, on the other, presents them with conditions unrealistic for the Georgian TV market and advises them to move to another TV station.
“When the government promises a journalist a salary equal to the Amercan TV presenters," Targamadze continued, "it is obvious that such suggestions have a political motivation. We expect problems as some journalists are not able to withstand blackmail while her or his relatives are at a risk.” Only a few journalists have left TV Imedi.
“Our TV station does not suffer from a lack of staff, although some problems in this arena still exist,” Targamadze declared. According to him, the government has also attempted to pressure him.

“During the events of November," Targamadze concluded, "one of the top officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs warned me of a possible act of terrorism that would happen in a foreign country against me. They suggested I get bodyguards and indicated the city where my liquidation would presumably happen.”
As Targamadze stated, the government has been using different means of pressure against Imedi journalists for the past 2 to 3 years, because it was clear from the station's outset that the government would not be able to control TV Imedi.

Source: Media.ge