Sorry – For Information Terror

Gela Mtivlishvili

The Special Reportage reported that  the terrorist act was organized against Eduard Kokoity, leader of South Ossetia after which the Russian Armed Forces attacked Georgia. Several minutes later TV Company spread the information about the assassination of President Mikheil Saakashvili and establishment of new National Government with the leadership of Nino Burjanadze.

In the program, the TV-Company did not properly warn the population that in the reportage they would show the events that might happen on June 7, 2010 after the opposition loses the elections. They showed that the opposition parties will rebel and Russia will take the advantage of the situation and invade entire Georgia. According to the imitated reportage of the TV-Company “Imedi” part of opposition parties supported Russia in invasion of Georgia.

“We did not wait for the end of the reportage; I grabbed the children and rushed out of the street. People were running towards mountains and we followed them. We spent several hours in the forest; we did not even set a fire because of fear. We called our relative in Tbilisi 2-3 hours later and he told us it was all false,” said Tina Margoshvili from the village of Duisi in Pankisi Valley. 

“We were so scared that I couldn’t even speak. What was that? Radio Imedi broadcasted the same and we were all shocked. How could they scare people so much? When I turned on the TV, the program was already on. We listened several minutes and electricity was off. We nearly went crazy. We couldn’t call neither from mobile phone nor from landline phone; operators answered the network was busy. What could we do? I had 37 GEL left from my pension; I filled bottles with water and put them in the bag together with some loaves of bread; with that we fled from the village. We returned home only in the morning. We could not hear bombardment or shooting. We were scared because there is a former military airport close to our village. During the war in August of 2008 there were some explosions in the area; so we were afraid they could attack us,” said Tamar Tsitelauri, resident of the village of Zemo Kedi in Dedoplistskaro district.

People were so panicked that TV-Company Imedi apologized to the society before the simulated “Chronicle” finished. The statement of the TV-Company said that the aim of the simulated reportage was to prevent aggressive plan of Russia.

People were panicked in Kakheti region even next morning. A lot of people were in the groceries and at the cash machines. There was heavy-traffic from Tbilisi to Kakheti. Mini-buses were leaving Isani auto-station in Tbilisi for Telavi, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani and Dedoplistskari every 15 minutes instead 30 minutes. According to first aid medical services, the number of emergency calls increased though not very noticeably. There were queues in the pharmacies from 9:00 pm to 12:00 pm. Pharmacists of Aversi pharmacies stated that people mostly bought medicines for high blood pressure and heart problems and sedative medication.

Ia Antadze: “This scenario aimed to shock us all. I have never seen anything similar”

Head of the Institute for Civil Development and media-expert Ia Antadze said the information released by the simulated Chronicle on March 13 was unethical and illegal. “This scenario aimed to shock us all,” said Ia Antadze. 

“It is completely impudent and unacceptable in the view of ethic norms because television is for population. Many people not only in Georgia but even abroad panicked and we were trying to calm them down saying it was a simulation and had nothing to do with reality. People were shocked. Besides that, I think the program was illegal. Television had no right to injure people. I think it was astonishing. I have never seen anything similar before,” said Ia Antadze.

She added that we cannot imagine ourselves in the apocalypse times, having a heart attack and then be told that it was all a joke. “I think, if people appeal against the TV-Company Imedi and request compesation for moral damage, it might bankrupt the company,” said Antadze.

Lasha Tughushi: “The Film Exceeded All Expectations”

Editor-in-chief of the newspaper Resonance Lasha Tughushi said the film shown by the TV-Company Imedi exceeded all expectations.

“I could never imagine they had such an imagination. There were shown such terrible videos that even Saakashvili’s supporters sitting in the studio were astonished. They said spreading such information about Georgian Army was not correct. Generally, I could not imagine that the topic of the special reportage was this. When I was invited to the program, they told me we had to speak about Georgian-Russian relations. This film and the provided materials in it for me were completely unexpected and unacceptable,” said Lasha Tughushi.

Ninia Kakabadze: “Giorgi Arveladze is a sick person and we should find out what is his illness”

Journalist Ninia Kakabadze said that the journalists of TV-Company Imedi Natia, Koberidze and Eka Tsamalashvili, should be deprived from the right of being journalists. She added that director general of the TV-Imedi Giorgi Arveladze is a sick person.

“I am sure that people close to the government knew about the performance. They were looking at it ironically and nobody cared about ordinary people like us. The reportage had already started when I turned on TV and got terribly shocked. Natia Koberidze, the anchor of the program is responsible for that. Besides that, Eka Tsamalashvili, who is boasting for having worked for Radio Liberty for ten years and is proud of being most impartial and unbiased journalist, has no moral right to appeal to us and do anything in journalism in future not to speak about being a journalist. I think and I am eager to deprive the right of journalistic activities from these people if it is legally possible. Eka Tsamalashvili and Natia Koberidze have no right to continue their work. They should bear responsibility for it. As for the head of the channel Giorgi Arveladze he is a sick person and we should estimate his illness,” said Ninia Kakabadze in her interview with Radio Utsnobi.

Zviad Koridze: “Commission shall discuss deprivation of license from Imedi TV”

The media-expert Zviad Koridze said that the simulated chronicle shown by Imedi TV is a crime and we should not dismiss the topic by making only statements.

“First of all, I share the position of Lasha Tughushi who turned up in a serious misunderstanding. It was not a simulation, they decided to call it simulation. It is false information provided to the society. It is a serious crime. It is not a case when only statements can be made to condemn this fact. The Communication Commission shall discuss the issue of depriving the license from Imedi TV. It is high time to find out who are the real owners of the broadcasting companies; we should know exactly their names and their shares in the companies; etc. this material was not prepared by only one producer; it was the work of the financial group which governs the TV-Company. I am sure the reaction of the society shall be more acute today, tomorrow and it should not end,” said Zviad Koridze.

Davit Gamkrelidze: “Government terrorizes its own population”
 
The Alliance for Georgia categorically condemns the simulated Chronicle of the TV-Company Imedi released on March 13 and requests international organizations to react on it. A leader of the Alliance Davit Gamkrelidze stated at the press-conference that the Alliance for Georgia imposes responsibility of preparation of simulated chronicle and its results over the government.

“This program seriously stressed the Georgian population and had a shocking influence on them. The government of Georgia is responsible for preparing similar program and its results; in fact they have monopolized national the TV-channels and terrorize people in this way. This maniac imitation aimed to threat and blackmail people. The irresponsible action of the government caused mass panic and serious physiological stress in an already traumatized population of Georgia,” the statement of the Alliance.

“Long ago, Saakashvili and his government turned the television into the source of disinformation and propagandist tool that is dangerous for life. Creation hysteria before the elections is a habitual activity of Saakashvili. The health of the Georgian population and international reputation of the country shall not be sacrificed to Gigi Ugulava’s position,” said Davit Gamkrelidze.

 The Alliance for Georgia calls upon the international organizations and diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia to evaluate the action of the government properly. Gamkrelidze said the fact shall become ground for setting up a special monitoring group for government-controlled TV-Channels by participation of international community.

Davit Darchiashvili: “ The Simulated Chronicle is not topic of criminal liability”

MP Davit Darchiashvili from the National Movement stated that there are no criminal signs in the simulated Chronicle released on March 13 by TV-Imedi.

“I do not want to exaggerate the situation and speak about it permanently. The situation shall be calmed down. One point is the idea that there is threat coming from Russia and another is the form of expression which caused such agitation. I also went out into the yard and started to calm down the people. Initially I called my family members to find out where they were. There are no signs of criminal liabilities in it. It is stupid joke, impudence of those people who could not foresee what could happen,” said Darchiashvili.

Tamar Kordzaia: “The Communication Commission Shall Use Sanctions against Imedi TV”

Tamar Kordzaia, the lawyer for the Georgian Young Lawyers Association said on March 13 that the National Regulation Commission for Communications shall discuss and impose some sanctions over the violator.

“In accordance to the law on broadcasting, the regulation commission for communications is entitled to control, discuss and impose sanctions against the violators. There are four sanctions: warning, fining, ceasing and abolishment of license. Sanctions are used in accordance to the gravity of the crime. If the commission annuls the license of Imedi TV, it means they will not be able to continue broadcasting. I do not think such a sanction will be imposed on TV-Imedi but the commission might raise similar request because according to news programs the results of the simulated reportage were quite grave. In the end, the commission shall make a decision,” said Tamar Kordzaia.

Journalists requested the commission to make a correct decision

Journalists requested the chairperson of the National Commission for Communications, Irakli Chikovani, to pass a correct decision regarding the simulated reportage.

According to the appeal of the journalists’ group, several paragraphs of Article 13 of the Law of Georgia on Broadcasting were breached by releasing the fake reportage on March 13 by TV-Company Imedi. More precisely, paragraphs I, II, IV and V of the article were breached.

1. A broadcasting company shall take all reasonable measures to ensure the reliability of information source and provided facts;

2. A broadcasting company shall provide the audience with reliable and correct information; shall not spread false and misleading information.

3. When providing statistic information the broadcasting company shall indicate the information source. The company shall be particularly careful about the information on healthcare, crime and national security in order not to cause additional concern for the society. 

4. In order to avoid misleading of the society the broadcasting company shall refrain from using stage performances in news programs and public-political programs or if it uses them, the company shall clearly clarify that it is a simulation. Every broadcasting reconstruction of documentary or real facts shall be clearly indicated.

The appeal is signed by the journalists: Beso Kurtanidze, Eliso Chapidze, Nino Zuriashvili, Irakli Kordzaia, Saba Tsitsikashvili, Ani Mirotadze, Ana Gochashvili, Nino Bekishvili, Roman Kevkhishvili, Natia Mikiashvili, Eka Vepkhvadze, Teona Gegelia, Nino Japaaridze and Temur Chumburidze.

The Kind Verdict of the Regulation Commission

Despite the strict assessments of the civil society, the National Regulation Commission of Communications imposed Imedi-TV with the responsibility to apologize to the society publicly. The Commission made the decision on March 15 in a special session.

According to the commissions’ decision, because of the simulated chronicle of the TV-Company released on March 13 Imedi-TV shall publish special a declaration where they will admit the violation of the law and apologize to the society for these facts.

Head of legal regulation office of the Commission, Kakhi Kurashvili, clarified that the decision is reasonable and proportional.

Imedi-TV shall publish the declaration within 5 days.