“Obiektivi” Imposes Responsibility of the Incident on May 6 on Journalist Nika Avaliani

Union of Journalists “Obiektivi” spread urgent appeal. Last week the union spread information about planning of attack on less famous journalist of the Public Broadcasting; the Ministry of Internal Affairs was going to use the attack to discredit the opposition movement.

“This scenario succeeded though a bit changed. Nika Avaliani, journalist of the PB, provoked demonstrators to attack him. Avaliani protested the so-called “corridor of shame” arranged in front of the PB by pushing one of the cells.

“We would like to underline that TV presenter Nika Avaliani could not stand the moral oppression and attacked the cell to dismantle it. Besides that, Avaliani breached the Ethic Code on Public Broadcasting who insulted the members of the youth branch of the Movement “April 9”. The TV-presenter provoked the incident and his behavior was replied proportionally. It must be pointed out that nobody has spoken about the liability of the journalist yet.”

The appeal also stated that the policemen revenged the members of the youth branch of the movement “April 9” on political grounds; among detainees was 15-year-old boy. In addition to that, the provocation of Nikoloz Avaliani was followed by more dangerous and tragic processes.

“We mean the incident in front of the Tbilisi Police Main Department on May 6, 2009 when tens of peaceful demonstrators were injured. Nika Avaliani did not protest this fact; furthermore, as the victimized people claim, close friends of the journalist watched them while being tortured at the police station. We call upon the lawyers of the Community Defender to find out the names of those people who were at the police station and study the abovementioned issue in details. Together with the special unit and patrol policemen we impose the responsibility for the incident on our young colleague and blame him for having breached the Ethic Code on Public Broadcasting,” it is written in the appeal of the Union.

The journalists added in the appeal that the PB banned Giorgi Korkotashvili to present the TV program on PB because of breaching the Ethic Code; so, the same measures should be used in regard with Nika Avaliani; he also should be dismissed from the TV Company.

“Unless our demands are satisfied, the Union of Journalists “Obiektivi” will start non-stop picketing of the PB and the government will be responsible for the outcomes,” stated the appeal of the Union.

Source: Obiektivi