The Founder Requested Editor-in-Chief of the Forbes Georgia to Change the Content of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Interview

Tamar Paradashvili, media.ge

Editor-in-Chief of the Forbes Georgia Rezo Sakevarishvili blamed Gagik Egizaryan, founder of the Media Partner, the company publishing the Forbes Georgia, in censorship and interference in editorial independence of the magazine and resigned.

On March 27, Rezo Sakevarishvili stated at the press-conference that Egizaryan permanently tried to interfere in the editorial activities of the magazine but his attempt to reduce the interview with Businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili was the last.

“As the editor-in-chief of the newspaper I always believed that the only Georgian person among World Billionaires really deserves to be under particular attention of the Forbes Georgia,” Sakevarishvili said. The magazine decided to prepare an article about the billionaire after American Forbes decided to publish Ivanishvili’s photo on its cover.

“It was to be reflected in the Georgian edition of the magazine too. I decided to prepare an original material and our interview with Ivanishvili lasted five hours – we believed it was extremely serious publication,” Sakevarishvili said.

He added that initially the founder complained about our work on this publication. Later, he wanted to take part in the formulation of questions and finally he demanded to make the interview shorter.

Rezo Sakevarishvili connected Gagik Agizaryan’s interference in the editorial independence of the Forbes Georgia with its close relation with Gela Bezhuashvili, Head of Foreign Intelligence of Georgia.

“He used to suggest us not to publish anything that could irritate the government,” Sakevarashvili said.

The former editor-in-chief of the Forbes Georgia said he cannot predict how his interview will be changed, so he decided to publish it on the websites of the Kviris Palitra, news agencies IPN, ambebi.ge and palitra.tv. “Everybody will have chance to read and decide what was there to be censored,” Sakevarishvili said.

Sakevarishvili has already notified the Forbes head office about his decision to quit the position. “They suggested me to discuss the issue inside the editorial board. But, since the magazine is already ready to be published and I do not know what will be published there, I want to make the situation public in order to avoid awkward questions in future,” Sakevarishvili said and added: “I have never made the problem public so far because the attempted censorship was not worthy to be publicly discussed and tried not to damage the publication and simultaneously I could protect my principles. I managed to reject the censorship. Now, the situation is completely different.”

At this stage, Rezo Sakevarishvili does not know where he will continue his activities.

“In similar situation, people often say that they just want to have a rest. Now I am fully aware what they mean by that. I also want to have a rest,” Sakevarishvili said.

The first issue of the Georgian Forbes was published in December of 2011. It is monthly magazine of 140 pages and with 3 000 circulation. It reports about Georgian and international business. The price of the issue is 10 GEL. By now, 4 editions have been published in Georgia. Photos of Shon Parker, a founder of the Facebook, Bill Gates of the Microsoft, Director General of the Bank of Georgia Irakli Gilauri, and Director General of the GeoCELL Osman Turan were published on the covers of the magazines.

 Magazine “Forbes” has been publishing worldwide since 1917 and it is very influential business-edition. It has 20 international editions in the world including Georgian Forbes.