Director of Radio “Imedi” Persecutes Journalists for Expressing Diverse Opinions

Gela Mtivlishvili

Nino Gabriadze, director of the Radio-Company “Imedi”, persecutes correspondents of the Information Department for having varying opinion to her own. Journalists Manana Tokmajishvili and Nino Tskhvarashvili stated at a meeting held at the Public Defender’s Office to that the director has forced them to write resignation letters. Prior Gabriadze’s decision, social-political programs that were presented by Tokmajishvili and Tskhvarashvili were pulled off the air.

Reportedly, Josef Key, current owner of the TV-Radio Company “Imedi” fired Nona Kandiashvili, director of Radio Imedi after the Parliamentary elections on May 21, 2008. She was replaced with Nino Gabriadze, former press-secretary of Davit Tkeshelashvili, State Ministry in Regional Management Issues. Correspondents of the company claimed that the new director immediately started interfering in the editorial independence and professional activities of the journalists as soon as she came to the office.

“Immediately after Gabriadze was appointed as director, she started to qualify information. She did not release 8 out of 10 news stories that we had prepared for broadcasting. Her reason to decline our stories was that the information would be unpleasant for the audience to hear. I was hosting live talk-shows, and when I invited for example Sozar Subari, public defender or journalist Ia Antadze, Gabriadze would ask me why I had invited such people on the program.

-Which people did she suggest inviting onto your program?

She suggested inviting those people who were less critical in their positions towards the government. I offered the board of the Radio to grant me with the right to choose guests on my own if they wanted me to invite people that the audience wanted to see in my program. However, our positions were diametrically opposed in this regard.

Afterwards, they cancelled the talk-show “Dghis Arkhi”, and other programs that we were doing. In August we did not have any guests. In September we had to renew programs but they did not. They stated we were not qualified people; that we only wanted to invite those people who were in opposition to the government; for example the public defender, people who were not desirable for the Radio. Then I published an article in the newspaper “Resonance” because the Radio was no longer an effective option. Consequently, Nino Gabriadze called me to her office and told me that I had to leave my job. I replied that if the new president of the company did not like employees like me, they should have written a decree on my resignation. Gabriadze stated I had to write a resignation letter. Although I am still officially working as “Radio Imedi”, my salary was seriously reduced. Now I am prevented from properly carrying my responsibilities; Gabriadze calls me into to her office almost on a daily basis tries to pressure me into writing a letter of resignation.

-Nino, does the director of the Radio Company oppresses other employees too?

-Journalist Manana Tokmajishvili faces the same problem. Five employees had to write resignation letters and left the company. Most part of the employees adapted to the situation; while many cannot put up with it and cannot protest it either. 

-What do you think will be Gabriadze’s reaction following your statement?

I think that she will have very strict reaction because I dared and complained about my situation. In this case, she might fire me from job without my application. When I initially complained about my problems with the public defender she threatened me.

Sozar Subari, Public Defender: “These journalists applied to our office soon after the administration changed at the Radio Company. Georgian Labor Code cannot protect them because they can be fired very easily. The legislation does not protect working class. In this case, the society should protect them. If these journalists are fired from the company, it will be a persecution on political grounds. We will try to protect them in this direction. To blame these people for poor professionalism is cynical statement because Radio “Imedi” had the highest rating in Georgia until talk shows of these journalists were released.

Zviad Koridze, journalist:”I do not know what is the degree of balance of the board of the Radio Company. The only thing I can tell you is that normal manager should not fire them but instead to take these remarks into consideration think whether problems really exist or not. If everything is in the way the journalists have declared, then the quality of the editorial independence of the Radio “Imedi” will be reduced and radio will lose its market share.”

Nino Gabriadze denies the accusations of the journalists. “As a new director I tried to implement changes in human resouces. I have right to act so because all manager has its vision and opinions. I think, Misha Peikrishvili presents the program better than Tskhvarashvili and Tokmajishvili did. As for other journalists who left the Radio “Imedi” – they did this on their own and nobody has fired them. They continued their activities in other media sources according to their own free will,” concluded Nino Gabriadze
Director of Radio “Imedi” Persecutes Journalists for Expressing Diverse Opinions