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Georgian Government Continues Terrorizing Media

September 13, 2005

Georgian Government Continues Terrorizing Media    

Georgian government is spreading its chains across the independent media. The most steadfast face of Georgian media, host of TV show “Debates on 202” Shalva Ramishvili, spent his birthday in prison. On the 29th of August, part of Georgian society mourned about the death of free media. The City Court, discussing their criminal cases, sentenced Ramishvili and Kokhreidze to a preliminary sentence of 3 months.

The general director of TV Company “202” David Kokhreidze and one of the founders of the company and famous anchor Shalva Ramishvili were moved to jail. The City court, after having discussed the criminal cases, sentenced the accused to a 3 months of imprisonment. The decision of the court remained the same even after appeal.

Ramishvili and Kokhreidze were arrested on August 27 on a bribe charge. Police says that Koba Bekauri offered Ramishvili 100 thousand US Dollars for not showing a documentary film containing evidence of illegal activities of the politician. The film was prepared by the studio “Reporter”.

A friend of Ramishvili, Irma Stepnadze, called him in Kobuleti and told that Bekauri wanted to meet the journalist. After returning to Tbilisi, Ramishvili discovered that Bekauri wanted to pay 100 thousand US dollars for the film, The journalist decided to use this fact as an opportunity to make the position brought forward in the documentary more credible. Ramishvili though, did not have the possibility to use a hidden camera at the meeting with Bekauri, so he asked the latter to transfer half of the money to his account at the Basis Bank. He hoped to meet the politician again, so he would be prepared and equipped with the hidden cameras. Things went different than Ramishvili expected though. Short before the meeting, Stepnadze called the journalist and told him that the meeting would take place in Ramishvili’s apartment rather than at the Basis Bank. The journalist was afraid that Bekauri would not pay the promised amount of money and went for a compromise to meet the politician at his place. Ramishvili was arrested in his own house, while he was taking money from Bekauri.

Ramishvili’s lawyer Gocha Svanadze, says that the court is trying to establish whether Ramishvili and Kokhreidze have to stay in prison, instead of addressing the one who is truly guilty. The lawyer is accusing the government of ignoring the presumption of innocence. Gocha Svanadze: “They try to cheat the public by showing materials that prove Ramishvili’s and Kokhreidze’s guilt. Every member of the Ministry of the Interior who took place in this PR game should be responsible for this fraud.”

Kate Kuratashvili

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