Journalist Lost Social Allowance for Criticizing Local Authority

Social Agency deprived Tamila Gurashvili, correspondent for the online newspaper “Kiziki”, who criticizes local authority, from social allowance.

Tamila Gurashvili said she is lonely mother and is bringing up 13-year-old child. She does not have a house and is sheltering in one room of the former dormitory of military base in Dedoplistskaro (town in western Georgia). Tamila Gurashvili received 54 GEL within the Poverty Reduction State Program every month.

According to the Kakheti Coordinating Center of the Social Agency the family of Tamila Gurashvili was re-examined and allowance was cancelled for them.

It must be pointed out that officials from local authority threatened Tamila Gurashvili with ceasing the allowance and evicting her from the shelter several times. The officials requested her not to prepare critical articles about the district administration. Besides that, Soso Benashvili, officer of the Kakheti office of the Constitutional Security Department visited her several times at home. Journalist claims Benashvili warned her against writing critical articles about Dedoplistskaro district governor who is godfather of his child. He also threatened the journalist with creating some problems about her child. Kakheti regional prosecutor’s office is carrying out investigation on the incident.

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Source: Kakheti News Center