Tskhinvali Accuses Georgian Law Enforcers of Violating the Rights of the Journalists Who Visit the Conflict Zone

Tskhinvali Accuses Georgian Law Enforcers of Violating the Rights of the Journalists Who Visit the Conflict Zone

Georgian Ministry of the Interior flatly denies the information spread by self-proclaimed South Ossetian Republic's Information and Print Committee according to which Georgian Ministry of the Interior had issued a decree forbidding journalists to enter conflict zone.

"Any journalist who has Georgian visa can enter Tskhinvali conflict zone; however, the Ministry of Internal Affairs disclaims any responsibility for their safety in the conflict zone" - Head of Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs' Press Service Shota Khizanishvili said.

On July 19 South Ossetian Information and Print Committee made a statement about the existence of the Georgian Ministry of the Interior's abovementioned decree. As the separatists say on July 17 Head of Agency France Presse's South Caucasian Bureau Simon Ostrovsky was detained by Georgian Military Police near Tskhinvali. Besides, journalist of Russian Third Channel Roman Babayan was refused entry into that region.

On July 17 Georgian Military Police denied detaining Ostrovsky. According to Head of Agency France Press's Moscow Bureau France Viato, nobody had detained the agency's correspondent "The thing is that our journalist didn't' have a permission to cross the Georgian border. For entering Tskhinvali one must have such a permission" - he said.

Source: media.ge