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Journalistic Ethic Charter Requests Investigation of Eliso Janashia’s Case

September 18, 2012

Georgian Journalistic Ethic Charter requests investigative institutions to study journalist Eliso Janashia’s case. The Charter published the statement on September 17.

The incident occurred in the yard of the Poti Church under-construction. Bishop Grigol of Poti and Khobi Eparchy and other clergymen insulted Janashia verbally and physically. Janashia was in the church yard to prepare TV-story. They even broke journalist’s camera. Tspress.Ge spread the video on the incident.

The Patriarch’s Secretary made a statement about the fact. The Archpriest Michael Botkoveli clarified that the video does not show that the Metropolitan insulted Janashia physically. He added that journalist did not allow the Bishop to move.

The Georgian Journalistic Ethic Charter believes that Bishop Grigol –the Metropolitan of Poti and Khobi is the public person and he is obliged to tolerate according to the Georgian legislation. On the other hand journalist has right to get and spread information the society is interested in.

“Any violence against journalist which intents to prevent him/her from getting comment or/and spread information is crime punished by criminal law more precisely it is interference in the journalistic activities. Consequently, we believe that the Prosecutor’s Office is authorized to launch investigation on the fact and impose relevant liabilities on concrete persons”,-the Charter statement reads.

The Media Legal Defense Centre at the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association responded to the incident between clergymen and journalist Eliso Janashia which occurred on September 17.” Freedom of expression, one of the pillars of a democratic society, entails the right to receive and impart information. Asking questions is one of the forms of receiving information for a journalist. We believe that both secular people and clergymen should take into account and respect profession of a journalist and its role in a democratic society,” GYLA’s statement reads. 

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