CSD Is Watching Journalists and NGOs

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Shalva Imerlishvili

Officers from the Kakheti regional department of the Constitutional Security Department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs are watching representatives of region-based non-governmental organizations and independent journalists. Furthermore, officers of the CSD settled in the flats next to the offices of independent media sources and non-governmental organizations and they record every person who visits the offices. After those people leave the NGOs and media-sources the law enforcement officers demand them the information about their visits.

We asked explanations from Shalva Imerlishvili, officer from the CSD, after he left the room next to the offices of the Human Rights Centre and Kakheti News Centre.

-What are you doing here?

-It is not your business. I will go everywhere I want to and I will do whatever I want.

-What do you mean by doing whatever you want? You are officer of the CSD and you cannot be a member of any political party nor have some business. So, I wonder what you are doing here - next to the Kakheti offices of the Human Rights Centre, news agencies, Gurjaani office of the Christian-Democratic Party and commercial companies.

-It does not make any difference that I work at the CSD. I am renting a room here and I am going to open an office.
 
-What kind of office are you going to open here? Did the head of Gurjaani office of the Christian-Democratic Party rent out the room to you?

-It is not your business.

Shalva Imerlishvili finished the conversation and left the corridor immediately after we took his photo.

According to the Public Registration Agency, the room on the third floor in Noneshvili Street N 14 belongs to Nino Murakashvili. Imerlishvili and some other people were in that room. Nino Murakashvili is one of the leaders of the Gurjaani district office of the Christian-Democratic Party.

Before Imerlishvili moved to a separate room, he used another one on the same floor for three months that also belonged to Nino Murakashvili. Activists and members of the Christian Democratic Party visit this room very often.

Several days ago, the news agencies spread information that representatives of NGOs and journalists demanded the Christian Democratic Movement to explain why the officer from the CSD was spending days in their room. What was the connection between the CSD and their party?

Journalists claim people, who visit the editorial office, ask journalists to meet them some other places for interviews because the officer is watching them. However, journalists say that officer from the CSD and some strange people watch them outside too.

“We were informed that they visit people after their meetings with us and demand them to explain what the reason of their visits in the editorial office or at the human rights organization was. They wonder why these people met us, what information they have provided to us and if our respondents refuse to provide them with same information, the people are threatened,” it was statement of the Kakheti News Centre.

Boris Mamisashvili

“We took a photo of a person who was together with Shalva Imerlishvili when we were working on an article. He is Boris Mamisashvili, a resident of Gurjaani. He used to abuse journalists of the Kakheti based regional newspaper “Imedi” at different times. “You will be punished soon,” Mamisashvili shouted at us.

Two days ago, information was spread that journalists were watched by the officers of the CSD from the office of the Christian Democratic Party. The representatives of the local office of the political party publicly threatened journalists.

We tried to get in touch with the leaders of the Christian Democratic Party but mobile phones of Giorgi Targamadze, Giorgi Akhvlediani and Magda Anikashvili were switched off all day long. Levan Vepkhvadze did not answer our calls.

Kakha Kordzaia, regional coordinator of the Christian Democratic Movement: “Leaders of our party are abroad. You know better who the head of regional office is.

- Please, remind me your name.

- Journalist Gela Mtivlishvili.

-Are you asking about Gurjaani or Sagarejo office? In Gurjaani the head of our office is Nino Murakashvili.

-Do you have information that officers of the CSD are sitting in the room of your office and they are watching journalists?

-It is false information. This fraud information was published on the website.
 
-How can it be a lie? We have taken a photo of him?

-If you have, then prepare an article and publish wherever you want.

-Why are you speaking like that? You represent the political party which had human rights as main priority during pre-election campaign.

-I am speaking like that because you are lying. You have photos and you can publish it wherever you want. Don’t call me again. We know everything about you.

-Can’t you tell me what you know about me?

-It does not matter. You are writing false information about our party. You should not act like that if you want to be a journalist.