Gori Journalists Ask For Protection from MP Badri Nanetashvili and Governor Mikheil Kareli

Gori Journalists Ask For Protection from MP Badri Nanetashvili and Governor Mikheil Kareli

The former employees of the Shida Kartli regional broadcasting company ‘Trialeti’, accuse Badri Nanetashvili, an MP of the Nationalist Party and a founder of the broadcasting company, of violating their labour rights and blackmailing them. Tamar Okruashvili, former head of the news service at ‘Trialeti’, former journalists Ketevan Akhalbedashvili, Nana Kakhniashvili and Tea Kakiashvili and cameramen Demna Shevardenidze and Shalva Nuskhelidze, informed the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre about the problems they have been having with ‘Trialeti’.

The journalists above, in addition to their roles as correspondents, also held other positions at the ‘Trialeti’ TV station, although for many years they were never paid for the jobs they did. When the journalists eventually asked for a labour contract and salary statement, the TV station began putting out stories describing the ‘acts of rebel journalists’. It announced that not only the television station but also freedom of expression was in a danger, because the former journalists were following orders from high ranking officials such as the Head of Police, the Prosecutor and the Head of the Financial Police. Furthermore, the journalists were accused of creating problems purely for television.

The journalists themselves say that they have been discharged from their positions without any explanation. They have also not been given their official work books, stating their employment history. The journalists cannot counter misinformation spread against them via TV programs and thus see no way of resolving their problems, their accounts of the events are as follows:
Tamar Okruashvili - “Several months ago we spoke out about the situation in the broadcasting company. This was followed by the blackmailing. We were humiliated by information spread on news programs. The only things we wanted and asked for were normal working conditions, a proper contract and our work books.” 

Nana Kakhniashvili - “The MP does not sympathize with me because of an incident that took place in Uplistsikhe, when Governor Mikheil Kareli abused a journalist. I conducted an interview regarding this story. I also confirmed the facts regarding the harassment of journalist Saba Tsitsikashvili to the Ombudsman. Later, I met with Kareli who told me I could only blame myself if something bad happened to me. The television station started to put psychological pressure upon me by not paying me my salary. Eventually, I left the station but they still launched a slander campaign against me on TV programs, where they called me various names.”

Ketevan Akhalbedashvili - “I applied to the head of the broadcasting company with a written request to give me a work book. With the ‘Trialeti’ newspaper I had held four positions, though I was only paid for one. I asked the police to protect my labour rights. However, my rights were then further violated as I was verbally abused in the news”.

Ketevan Akhalbedashvili - “I wanted to obtain a credit from a bank and I asked the head of the broadcasting company for my salary history. I had problems getting it. Badri Nanetashvili threatened me, saying that if I spoke about the things I knew, he would humiliate me by spreading embarrassing information about me. The same thing happened at the ‘Trialeti’ newspaper, where I also held different positions, though I was paid only as a journalist. I should also mention that the grants received by the organization are also badly spent. For example, instead of the budgeted 500laris, Badri Nanetashvili paid only 100laris to a journalist working on the the Ossetian language news. Also, the grant received for creating an electronic version of the ‘Trialeti’ newspaper, was spent on an Internet-Café, which is now his private business”.  

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre has a document, which states that Governor Mikheil Kareli allotted 3000 laris from his official budget for the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company. However, it is well known that it was in fact the American organization ‘IREX’ that financed the creation of the Ossetian language news. Tamar Okruashvili claims that above sum was actually embezzled by the Governor.

The journalist met with the Ombudsman who promised to investigate the situation.

MP Badri Natetashvili told the agency ‘media.ge’ that the accusations made by the journalists were groundless and unfair. Nanetashvili stated that he fired Tamar Okruashvili for ‘unethical behavior’ eight months ago. “Three former journalists of the ‘Trialeti’ broadcasting company are following the orders of the Shida  Kartli Regional Prosecutor, Micheil Abuladze, to oppose me”, says Badri Nanetashvili. He also highlighted the fact that the television station had critically covered Abuladze’s activities several times. He believes that the discontented journalists have links with the prosecutor.
Regarding the grants, Nanetashvili noted that the money was spent on equipment and not wages.

According to Nanetashvili, the former journalists and the prosecutor refused to use the air time offered to them by ‘Trialeti’. “The prosecutor, Abuladze, forbids ‘Trialeti’ employees from entering the Prosecutor’s Office building”, says the MP.

The rebel journalists dispute this, stating they never had a chance to use any air time, on the contrary, they demanded to arrange a live debate and oppose the MP on air. The journalists also added that they still cannot get back their employment records. The TV station guard will not even allow the journalists to stand near the ‘Trialeti’ office.

The journalists now intend to sue Nanetashvili for moral harassment. They are especially insulted by the accusation that they follow orders from the Head of the Police, the Prosecutor or Head of the Financial Police.
The Journalists again demand the Financial Police thoroughly investigate the above situation. Despite the fact that the journalists possess copies of applications to the Regional and Financial Police authorities, the Head of the Financial Police, Zurab Arsoshvili, states that he has not received any such applications.

Saba Tsitsikashvili from Gori