Intimidation of Journalist from Newspaper Batumelebi – Batumi, Georgia

The representatives of Newspaper Batumelebi have shared information as to how they have been intimidated and even a death threat.  The newspaper received an anonymous email that used foul language in making threats towards one the newspaper’s journalists. The specific threat was that this journalist would be found “dead” with a newspaper stuffed in his mouth.”

Eter Turadze, the Newspaper Batumelebi’s editor in chief stated that there were other incidents where journalists’ have been intimated. “This most recent incident was preceded by two other such acts within the span of two weeks. One was when my car was followed by an unknown car in the middle of the night and the other was when our journalist was followed by a car on Memed Abashidze Avenue. It is noteworthy that the traffic flow is allowed only on one side of Memed Abashidze Ave. while this car was following our journalist opposite to the regular traffic movement.”

The newspaper journalists spotted the plate number of one of the two cars that followed the journalists and gave the information to Adjara Prosecutor’s Office. The administration of Newspaper Batumelebi addresses the governmental bodies and requests that the facts are studied and the journalists be protected.

The Office of the Public Defender interfered in the situation as well: “This kind of control and observation over the media is unacceptable to us. We demand that responsible governmental bodies conduct an investigation on the cases and then take adequate measures,” stated Lado Mgaloblishvili, the representative of the Public Defender in Adjara.

Maka Malakmadze, Batumi