Public Defender Reports 10 Journalists Were Injured in the Karaleti Incident

10 journalists were injured as a result of incident in Karaleti. The Public Defender’s Office of reported to Information Centre of Kakheti, that representatives of News Agency “INFO 9”-Tamta Iluridze, Eka Iluridze, Shorena Khabalashvili, Rezo Nadiradze and Lekso Aleksidze, journalists of the Ninth Channel Nukri Beglarashvili and Nodar Skhirtladze, representatives of TV-Company “Trialeti”-Nino Bolashvili and Mamuka Kevkhishvili and Saba Tsitsikashvili, journalist of the Information Centre of Shida Kartli are injured.

The Public Defender stated that according to journalists’s declarations, some of them have equipment damaged and they were taken to Gori MIA office after incident.

“The news agencies reported that an incident occurred during Georgian Dream’s meeting with local people in Karaleti village in Gori district. The group of citizens insulted participants of the meeting and it turned into the physical assault. As a result, several activists and journalists were injured. At present, reportedly, there are 13 activists with different injures in the Gori hospital “Gormedi”. Public Defender’s representative got in touch with the injured journalists. According to the spread information, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has already begun investigation of this fact. Consequently, I call for Human law enforcement bodies to begin rapid and effective investigation to identify the perpetrators. The Public Defender of Georgia continues obtaining explanations and information about this fact,” July 12 statement of the Public Defender reads.

                                                                                                        Information Centre of Kakheti