News Agency INFO 9’s Statement about Violence Facts against Journalists

News agency INFO 9 spread statement about the violence facts against their journalists. According to the news agency, violence and persecution facts against INFO 9’s correspondents have acquired systemic character.

“Since June 29, 2012 certain group of people (so-called Media Group), who call themselves journalists, systematically hinder Eka Dugladze to perform journalistic activities and move about by abusing their power and violence. On July 6 we appealed Zestaponi district prosecutor and requested to start investigation on this fact; our application has not been responded yet. Due to inactivity of law enforcement bodies, some other groups also appeared who hinder professional activities of journalists. On July 30, a group of people, who called themselves journalists of Samegrelo Media Group, insulted Eka Dugladze and did not allow her to perform professional duties all day long. On July 1, 2012 Eka Dugladze was in the house of cameraman Shota Peradze and so-called media group members arrived there and tried to provoke journalists by questions. Despite Dugladze’s request to leave the territory because her underage child was there and was scared, they did not stop her persecution.

On July 12, 2012 journalist Revaz Nadiradze and cameraman Lekso Aleksidze were ruthlessly beaten when they were covering incident in Karaleti IDP settlement, Gori district; about 8 people ruthlessly beat the cameraman and seized camera. Despite that this fact has not been responded yet. Investigator Shermadin Kapanadze said he does not think that beating of journalists and seizure of camera contains crime signs.

On June 12, 2012 leaders of the military and rescue services of the Zestaponi district Valeri Telia and Avtandil Dardaganidze ruthlessly beat journalist Rostom Jugeli when working on tv-story and hindered film-crew to work. The investigation has not taken measures regarding this incident yet.

Cameraman Tornike Tibilashvili was twice physically assaulted in Gori district. On June 13, 2012 Dirbi village governor Zurab Bolashvili and other individuals forcibly hindered working process and injured cameraman Tornike Tibilashvili and damaged his camera. On July 9, 2012 stranger physically assaulted Tornike Tibilashvili when he was covering Georgian Dream’s meeting with population.

On August 12, 2012 National Movement was transporting teachers and party activists to Batumi from Lanchkhuti district and mini-buses were stopped in front of the Lanchkhuti district administration. INFO 9 was preparing reportage on the fact when an activist of the National Movement Zurab Kvirkvelia approached the journalist and warned her to stop shooting. The cameraman was video-recording the conversation and it irritated Kvirkvelia; he shouted at the cameraman to stop shooting, attacked and physically assaulted him. As a result, the cameraman was taken to hospital. In this particular case police concluded that nobody had hindered professional activities of journalists and they imposed administrative punishment on Kirkvelia.

On June 26, 2012 there was controversy between people meeting the Georgian Dream’s leaders and strangers in Dirbi village, Kareli district. Since INFO 9 was covering the ongoing incident, the strangers were aggressive towards our film-crew and tried to hinder our work by knocking on the camera. One of them approached journalist Eka Beruashvili and slapped her in the face; after that journalist could not continue her work.

On July 11 representatives of the so-called Media Group did not allow journalists to perform their activities. We called patrol police, informed them about interference in our professional activities and asked them to take relevant measures. Police officers drew up a protocol, at that moment somebody called one of the police officers and after phone-conversation police officers claimed we refused to sign the protocol. We asked them to let us read the protocol before signing but they did not allow us to sign it and left the territory without respond.

In accordance to the national law, we have appealed to all relevant state institutions, we have applied to all domestic resources of human rights defense but law enforcement bodies have not responded to any of abovementioned facts yet. We have not received replies to any of our applications. Their inactivity breeds impunity feeling in the violators against free journalists that encourages them to commit new crime. It is noteworthy that very often state officials are violators.

Since Georgian government is incapable to protect our rights, and moreover, in most cases representatives of the Georgian government abuse journalists, we appeal to Georgian and international society to express your opinion about the violence facts against the news agency INFO 9.

Despite our appeals to law enforcement institutions, those facts were not responded yet. We provide you with the information about facts of violence and request you to adequately respond to them,” the statement of the News Agency reads.

 Source:Information Center of Mtskheta-Mtianeti