National Movement Met Population in Secret

On September 24, President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili met citizens in Batumi. Media was not allowed to attend the meeting. Moreover, security officers demanded journalists to stay away from the building in order not to block president’s way when entering the sport school hall.

Citizens entered the sports school after producing their IDs. They claimed they had arrived at the meeting based on their initiative. However they did not know whom they were meeting there. “I came here according to my own wish; nobody has invited me. But I do not know whom we are meeting,” a citizen told humanrights.ge

Chairman of the Batumi City Council Giorgi Kirtadze said organizers of the meeting were in charge to resolve issue of journalists’ attendance at the meeting. “We have scheduled meeting in the Naval Academy’s hall on September 28. How do you think, is not it our choice to invite media sources to this meeting or not?!”

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara