Statement of Human Rights Center with regard to the failed press-conference in the Press-Club 'Kvira'

Human Rights Center is concerned with the failure of the press-conference, which was scheduled in the press-club Kvira by the organization today. HRC had agreed the time of the press-conference with the representative of the Kvira and the topic was death case of Zura Khutsishvili, who had passed away in an obscure situation. There are signs of crime allegedly committed by police officers.  

Today, five minutes before the press-conference, the representatives of the Press-Club told the HRC executive director, HRC lawyer and the attorneys of the victim that the press-conference could not be held in the press-club because of “technical problems” and suggested them to give comments to the journalists in the yard. HRC representatives felt insulted because the employees of the press-club did not clarify what concrete technical problems they had. At the same time, the TV-company journalists and cameramen could not see any problems in the space of the press-club; they were ready to live-stream the press-conference. Therefore, HRC representatives doubt that the press-club was oppressed to refuse the organization to hold the press-conference regardless the long-term cooperation between the human rights organization and the press-club.

Although HRC was allegedly hindered to hold the press-conference, it was held in the conference hall of HRHT. After the press-conference, the editor-in-chief of the press-club Kvira contacted HRC and clarified that their video-camera went wrong for what they could not allow the organization to hold the press-conference in their premises. 

Human Rights Center