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First Action to Support the Detained Photo Correspondents

July 11, 2011

Sopo Getsadze

The media outlets reacted upon the arrest of photo reporters Zurab Kurtsikidze, Gia Abdaladze, Shakh Aivazov and Natia and Irakli Gedenidzes on the same day and held a support action on July 7th at 13:00 pm in front of the Constitutional Department building. The action was joined by the Human Rights Center and Tbilisi Human Rights House with the request of immediate release of the detainees.

Photo correspondents were detained on July 7th by the people dressed in civil clothes. Following photo reporters were detained: private photographer of the Georgian President Irakli Gedenidze, his wife, a photo reporter of the newspaper Prime Times Natia Gedenidze and photo reporter of Alia holding Giorgi Abdaladze who was also working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a guest specialist.

The action was joined by the Human Rights Center and Tbilisi Human Rights House. They presented a poster with the Presidents of Belarus and Georgia in it and inscription: “Misha Lukashenko.” As the human rights defender stated this is a message to the public that autocratic regime of Saakashvili gradually takes form of Lukashenko’s widely acknowledged dictatorship.

“It’s been long I have been calling on the foreign states to declare Misha a persona non grata like Lukashenko. It is good that others are sharing my opinion. We all have to sign it and present to the Euro Commission that Saakashvili must be declared a persona non grata. We are not just talking about the detention of photo reporters. The methods that they used while their detention is alarming,” – stated the President of the Lawyers Association Zaza Khatiashvili who was present at the action.

The family members of the detainees also joined the action of media outlets. As Nestan Neidze, wife of Giorgi Abdaladze stated at three o’clock the people dressed in civil clothes came at night and without presenting any documents started searching the house: “They answered my questions – and said that they would find out everything in the Constitutional Department building. They conducted search but did not compose the protocol. They stated that they did not need it. They just said that he is charged with espionage. They were not concretely looking for a photo or any document,” – stated Nestan Neidze.

Journalists exclude fact of espionage. As the editor of internet newspaper humanrights.ge Aleko Tsitishvili comments everybody knows the detained photo correspondents in the circle of journalists and are sure that they are not guilty of anything. Their detention is part of some sick fantasy. The coordinator of Tbilisi Human Rights House Nino Ghvedashvili states the same: “I share the call to immediately release the correspondents and stop pressuring media. I personally know several detainees and with full responsibility I would like to state that the charge imposed against them is absurd.”

As the executive editor of Alia Dimitri Tikaradze stated with humanrights.ge the charge imposed against Gia Abdaladze is absurd: “I could not understand how they link the dissemination of secret information to his journalistic work whose direct responsibility is taking and dissemination of photos?! I cannot link any fact to his detention as Giorgi is not just Alia’s employee but a friend of mine as well. I know him well and I know that he is innocent.”

The lawyers were also hindered to have access to the Constitutional Department Building. The guards explained this fact by the big number of lawyers. The lawyers of the detainees who came out of the building noted that the case is classified as “top secret.”

Merab Chikovani, Giorgi Abdaladze’s lawyers: “We have not met our clients yet. As for the case itself it is classified as “top secret” meaning that the case materials represent state secret. Thus, I cannot tell you anything regarding this case.”

Nino Andriashvili, the lawyer of Human Rights Center, Zurab Kurtsikidze’s lawyer: “Of course Zura does not acknowledge crime. He is astonished and shocked by this situation. He cannot understand what is going on around him.”

The main editor of European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) already disseminated a statement regarding the detention of Zurab Kurtsikidze. The statement notes that they had never asked the reporter to cover the event which contradicted the legislation of Georgia. The organization hopes that the government will correct mistake and soon the photo correspondent will be released.

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