Resonance’s Statement about Akhalgori District Governor’s Accusations against Journalist Mari Otarashvili

Newspaper “Resonance” made statement about Akhalgori district governor’s accusations against journalist Mari Otarashvili.

“Head of Akhalgori district legitimate government, Governor Zurab Pitskhelauri has been intimidating Resonance’s journalist Mari Otarashvili with verbal threats and now with blackmailing too for a long time. He said during the TV-Program “Without Accreditation” he could prove that the journalist is a spy.

After the journalist demanded the governor to show the “proofs – photos and documents”, Pitskhelauri yielded and said he did not have the materials at that moment but could obtain them in future. It is noteworthy, that Otarashvili is the only journalist in Georgian media, who manages to travel to the occupied Akhalgori and report about the local situation impartially; she comes from Akhalgori district and her relatives still live there.

Akhalgori district governor used to verbally oppress the journalist in the past too; he often insulted her and “suggested” “to stop writing about Akhalgori”. The reason is the journalist’s unbiased reporting from the occupied region and his wish not to publish the information unacceptable for the fled legitimate government whose purpose is to empty Akhalgori district from Georgian population.

Since Otarashvili often wrote about the problem, the governor always threatened her with publishing discrediting materials about her. Besides, he is usually impolite with the journalist.

Due to the Resonance’s interest in the ongoing situation and problems in the occupied Akhalgori district, the newspaper is not going to stop reporting about the district with the support of Mari Otarashvili.

Newspaper Resonance assessed Pitskhelauri’s statement as oppression on concrete journalist and in general, as an attempt to oppress the Resonance newspaper. So, the editorial board discusses several lawful methods to respond to the district governor, among them is appeal to the court for the slander and attempted discrediting of the journalist and the newspaper.”

Interpresnews