Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

Italian shareholders of the First Stereo broadcasting company will lodge a lawsuit against MP David Bezhuashvili, one of the founders of the broadcaster, David Zilfimian told media.ge.

According to him, Italian partners plan to appeal to court for lien on their property and to request compensation for the loss.

“The verdict made on the given case by Italian Court will be in force, as according to Georgian legislation, a case of a company registered in Georgia and of a Georgian defendant must be discussed by Georgian City Court,” Kakha Kozhoridze, lawyer of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association says.  According to him, Italian Court will be authorized to decide upon the case only in case if in the contract it was indicated that disputes have to be settled in Italian Court.

Media.ge attempted to obtain contact information of Zilfimian’s Italian partners from the founder of the First Stereo himself, although Zilfimian refused to reveal the information. 

‘You will not be able to communicate with them first of all due to the language barrier and also they do not trust Georgian journalists; they will doubt if you are a journalist, or Bezhuashvili’s representative who will use their quotes as he wants,” Zilfimian said.

Founder and former director of the broadcaster is also planning to lodge two lawsuits against Bezhuashvili.  With one lawsuit he plans to request annulling of the decision of the Partners’ Meeting and with the second lawsuit is requested lifting of lien put on David Zilfimian’s property.

According to David Zilfimian, he started facing problems with his property after he reregistered Stereo + to his son and signed a contract on technical cooperation with the Ninth Channel.