Journalists Are Harassed In Kakheti

According to statistics, rights of independent journalists are violated particularly in Kakheti Region. Human Rights Centre announces that nearly fifteen cases of abuse involving journalists occurred in 2004 in Kakheti. In 2005, the situation worsened and not a single case out of total twenty-seven was investigated. Law enforcement bodies did not bother to investigate incidents in 2006, either.

Khatuna Guliashvili, television correspondent for “Mze” in the Kkaheti region, attributes the numerous violations of journalists' rights with the successful activities of the media in Kakheti. "Besides the fact that the media is active and independent, regional correspondents do not cater to representatives of the local government. The members of the local authority do not have a culture of dealing with journalists. They want to treat us like their subordinates," says Guliashvili.

Journalist Zviad Ruadze said that the media has been for a long time suppressed in Kakheti because journalists are more independent and less biased than in Tbilisi. "The government cannot control us, and consequently, the government frequently prosecutes journalists here," said Ruadze. He recalled that in January 2006, after he had published articles in a Kakheti newspaper, he was insulted and threatened with death unless he stopped delving into political matters. Although the journalists appealed to law enforcers, nobody paid attention.

In February 2006, Enri Kobakhidze, television director for the Telavi-based "Tanamgzavri", was detained for disturbing public order. He was detained only after a raid of his company by the financial police. The raid hindered the work of the company. Natela Jashiashvili, the judge of the Telavi District Court, released Kobakhidze on 15 lari. Employees for the TV Company attributed the raid and detention to the temporary Telavi District Governor, Gocha Mamatsashvili, who avoided journalists from “Tanamgzavri”.

Roman Kevkhishvili, former television correspondent for Tanamgzavri, said in his conversation with the Human Rights Centre that he was fired because of Mamatsashvili ordered the company.  "Although I do not work for Tanamgzavri anymore, Telavi district authority still abuses me. Telavi District Police launched a criminal case against me on the basis of Administrative Board's appeal. I arrived at the Administrative Board to find out some information, when Nodar Faradashvili, the head of the Organization Department, pushed me down the stairs. I appealed the police regarding the fact, but nobody showed interest in it," said Rekhviashvili.

On June 15, 2006, members of the national party, Ioseb Nanobashvili, Jemal Demetrashvili and others, under the order of MP Nugzar Abulashvili and with the help of teachers from the public school in Vakiri, assaulted the journalists when they were going to observe the theatrical demonstration. Correspondents for the companies, Imedi, Mze, Public Broadcasting Company, Gurjaani, Tanamgzavri and various newspapers were physically assaulted. Their equipment was broken. Journalists, Kevkhishvili, Ruadze and Jaliashvili, were injured. Sighnaghi District Police officers and officials from the Kakheti Main Department within the Interior Ministry arrived at the place after assaulters had finished their activities. Police officers dispatched to the scene did not react to the incident at all. However, they took part in the assault. Despite the investigation's ignoring the appeals and entreaties of the victims, the judge Khvicha Kikilashvili released the detainees after bailing them. Nino Burjanadze, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, commented on the journalists' assault. She demanded that the criminals be punished severely. However, they are still on bail and assaulting journalists. Seven months have passed since the investigation finished, but the judge Kikilashvili is not hurrying to discuss the case and does not release case materials to the victim's side.

On July 8 2006, the head of the Lagodekhi District Police Department, Gia Lomidze, planted a Makarovi bullet into a bag carried by Marina Gogoladze, a correspondent for the Kakheti regional newspaper Imedi, while she was interviewing witnesses in the yard. The journalist appealed to the Lagodekhi District Police, and a criminal case was launched, but later it was transferred to the Gurjaani District Prosecutor's Office and then to the Telavi Regional Prosecutor's Office. 

Gogoladze threatened to hold a demonstration in front of the Kakheti Regional Prosecutor's Office. The journalist said that Lomidze and other people threatened her with death unless she withdrew the appeal from the prosecutor's office. Thus, she appealed to the Gurjaani Prosecutor's Office. However, nobody discussed the case.

Nobody has reacted to the attack on journalist Gela Mtivlishvili in 2005. Law enforcers did not bother to look for the people who exploded bombs in the yard of the journalist's house twice. Moreover, they blamed the journalist for terrorism, in order to make himself more popular. Mtivlishvili found the organizer of the explosion. However, Mtivlishvili has not given testimony, yet. Despite numerous appeals, he could not find out which investigator was in charge of his case. Gocha Tediashvili, Deputy Head of the Kakheti Regional Department within the Internal Ministry, investigation office, advised Mtivlishvili to give up chasing criminals or else his life would be in danger.

Neither Ramaz Samkharadze, director of the radio Hereti, managed to escape a well-planned attack on journalists in Kakheti. After he had broadcast an item about former and current local high ranking officials in the region, he was threatened. "Former MP Davit Kapanadze initially threatened me with death and then threatened to close my radio company. On October 9, 2006 I was attacked and assaulted by him. I appealed to the Lagodekhi Police Department, and the letter was registered at the chancellery," said Samkharadze.

Gurjaani District Prosecutor's Office launched a preliminary investigation. However, they soon halted the investigation. According to Giorgi Kokiashvili, the Prosecutor, "The preliminary investigation did not show that Kapanadze's behavior disturbed public order." Despite that, the prosecutor wrote in the conclusion that the case was dropped because of a lack of cooperation of the victim.

"The prosecutor gave a wrong analysis of Kapanadze's behavior in order to drop the case. I appealed the verdict to the Lagodekhi District Court. However, I do not except the case to be investigated thoroughly," said the director of Hereti.

Unlike the former Regional Governor, the Georgian president's current representative to Kakheti, Gia Natsvlishvili, said that he would not let journalists be harassed and that local government will cooperate with them. However, the journalists' rights have already been violated during his time as representative. On December 8, correspondents were forced out of the hall during the meeting of the Gurjaani Municipality Board. Natsvlishvili refused to comment on the fact.

Lawyer Lia Khuroshvili attributes threats, abuse of journalists' rights, and prevention of their professional activities to the cynical attitude of the government toward law enforcers' impudence. "I think, unless the government finds methods of cooperation with the media, the strained relationships between journalists and officials will become worse," she said.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti