Statement by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre

Statement by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre

On the 15th of March, the Executive Director of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, Ucha Nanuashvili, received a letter, signed by independent media representatives in the Kakheti region. The signatories to the letter were the Director of the ‘Hereti’ Broadcasting Company, Ramaz Samkharadze and the Editors in Chief of the ‘Spektri’ and ‘Kakhetis Khma’ newspapers - Maya Kalabegashvili and Maya Mamulashvili.

The aforementioned people called the Coordinator of the Kakheti branch of the Human Rights Centre, Gela Mtivlishvili, and Center’s correspondent in Telavi, Veriko Kobiashvili, ‘pseudo journalists’. According to the letter, the information published by Mtivlishvili and Kobiashvili is quite often false and subjective. “They use the name of your organization for personal purposes”, said the letter.

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre denies these groundless accusations. It is also concerned about the results of an ‘investigation’, implemented by the ‘Journalists Investigation Group’, which portrays Gela Mtivlishvili as a criminal.

According to the authors of the letter, the above investigation was conducted by themselves, together with the Ombudsman’s office and the Telavi Branch of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA). The results of the investigation tried to show that an assassination attempt against Gela Mtivlishvili was in fact organized by his cousin and by the journalist himself! The information allegedly confirming these facts was received from the police - but anonymously with unidentified documentation.

In the report published by the ‘Journalists Investigation Group’, one can find facts about the case regarding the attack on Mtivlishvili. The case itself is still in the Gurjaani Branch of the Prosecutor’s Office. The real investigation, by the proper authorities, into the attack on Gela Mtivlishvili has been delayed. According to Georgian law, evidence relating to the case should only be accessible to the court and law enforcement officials.

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre contacted the head of GYLA and Ombudsman’s Office to check if they had any involvement in the investigation by the ‘Journalists Investigation Group’. Anna Dolidze, Head of the GYLA, categorically denies her involvement in the above investigation process. She also states that the Head of the GYLA Telavi branch, Lela Taliuri, took part in the investigation. Lela Taliuri declares, that she has not signed to back any conclusions the above investigation.

It is also said in the letter, that facts about the attack against Gela Mtivlishvili were published on one of the webpages two days before the incident took place! Maya Kalabegashvili, the Chief Editor of the newspaper “Spektri” was however unable to give the address of this web-page.

The Ombudsman’s Office also denies any involvement in the investigation.

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre declares the results of the investigation biased and simply aimed at defamation. The Centre now demands an immediate response from society and the appropriate bodies.