Statement of Human Rights Center – To Remove Status of Top Secret from Photo-Reporters’ Case

One year has passed since photo-reporters were arrested in Tbilisi. On July 7, 2011, very early in the morning - between 3:00 and 5:00 am, famous Georgian photo-reporters were simultaneously arrested in their houses; they were: Shah Aivazov from the Associated Press, Zurab Kurtsikidze from the European Press Agency, Georgian President’s personal photographer Irakli Gedenidze, his wife Natia Gedenidze, and photo-reporter of the Georgian Foreign Ministry Giorgi Abdaladze who also cooperated with independent newspaper Alia.

Immediately, Human Rights Center evaluated photo-reporters’ detention as violation of freedom of expression and called upon the President of Georgia and Minister of Internal Affairs to immediately release photo-reporters. Head of HRC Legal Aid Center Nino Andriashvili defended one of the detainees Zurab Kurtsikidze.

Shortly after the detention, human rights and media organizations launched active protest against their detention. As a result of oppression from local civil society and international organizations the government of Georgia had to release the detained photographers under charge of espionage within two weeks. In addition to that, Shakh Aivazov of the Associated Press was released several hours after detention because soon world famous American news agency Associated Press and American Embassy in Georgia got interested into the reasons of his detention.

The detained photo-reporters made confession statements under intimidation and psychological oppression. Initially, Irakli Gedenidze pleaded guilty and after that his spouse was released from prison. It proves that police had detained Natia Gedenidze as a hostage. Finally, Zurab Kurtsikidze and Giorgi Abdaladze also made confession statements and as a result they were released under plea-agreement and conditional sentence despite grave accusation.

Currently, the photo-reporters continue their professional activities at various agencies. Plenty of question marks still remain in the Photo-Reporters’ Case and it is impossible to answer those questions under status of Top Secret.

Human Rights Center believes there has never been any secret information in case materials that could become basis for granting Top Secret status to it and their purpose was to hide lack of relevant evidence from the society. Innocent photo-reporters were punished for dissemination of photos of bloody dispersal of May 26, 2011 demonstration in Tbilisi. Personal photographer of the President Irakli Gedenidze had shot particularly harsh photos of the dispersal because riot police officers allowed him to work in the territory.

Human Rights Center believes that it is time for the MIA to make the case public and provide society with case details. Besides, it is necessary to carry out impartial investigation and punish that time MIA officials for the fabrication of the case materials; and to discharge the photo-reporters from arbitrarily imposed conditional sentence.

Human Rights Center
July 9, 2012