Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

MIA Admits Physical Injuries Inflicted on Journalists by Riot Police

November 25, 2011

In the course of the November 22 trial the spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia admitted the injuries inflicted on journalists by the riot police dispersing the protest rally on May 26.

Besides, in the course of the trial being on at Tbilisi City Court the Ministry of Internal Affairs, citing insubstantial evidence as a motive, said the journalists’ complaint over the seizure of video and photo equipments that have not been given back thus far, is disputable.

In July 2011 seven applicants including journalists Kostantine Stalinski and Tazo Kupreishvili of the Netgazeti, journalist Nato Gogelia of the Guria News, Gazeti Batumelebi Ltd, Chokhatauris Matsne Ltd, Akhali Ambebi Ltd and Radio Center Plus Ltd, lodged a complaint against MIA.

The Media Legal Center of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) is pleading for the journalists.

According to the defendants in the course of the dispersal of the rally the journalists were seized video cameras, some of them were beaten and one of the complainants was detained.

The journalists are demanding the Ministry of Internal Affairs to compensate the damage to health as well as pay off the loss of the equipments (GEL 5,500).

At today’s trial seven witnesses have been interrogated. They have thoroughly recollected the beating of themselves as well as their colleagues and the seizure of cameras. Besides the defendants presented, as evidence, the invoices for the purchase of the lost cameras and the health statements issued by hospitals proving the injuries inflicted on journalists.

The follow-up trial is scheduled on December 12, 2011, at 11:00 am.

 media.ge

News