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Another Journalist Down

November 9, 2005

Another Journalist Down

Former journalist of Broadcasting Company “Rustavi 2” Irakli Mamaladze, says that the head of the Media and PR Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Guram Donadze threatened him with a gun. Moreover, Mamaladze was fired from his job because of a letter received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where he was accused of drug addiction. Fired journalist is going to bring suit against the TV company.

The confrontation between Guram Donadze and Irakli Mamaladze started from February 2005, when Mamaladze prepared materials about criminal activities within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Mamaladze accused the Ministry of various illegal acts, which was followed by threats from Donadze. The conflict hit the highest point during Mamaladze’s preparation of a program on prostitutes. According to the program, prostitutes said that after the patrol police was established in Tbilisi, their income had increased. According to Mamaladze, Merabishvili got "angry" after this program, which was followed by a call to the broadcasting company. Guram Donadze demanded cancellation of the program.

After this occurrence, threats against Mamaladze increased and the journalist refrained from visiting Donadze. But on the 13th of March, when he entered Donadze’s office, the latter "greeted" him with a gun.

"He threatened me with a gun and said that I should quit preparing programs about the police and Minsitry of Internal Affairs,"- said Irakli Mamaladze to a representative of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre.

After this fact, Donadze's number was never received by Mamaladze, but several other unknown numbers were recorded by his phone. These numbers were sent to the General Inspection for investigation.

Following this whole affair, was the decision to fire Mamaladze, taken by the head of News Program of "Rustavi 2". "Eka Khoperia, after one year of working together, "discovered" that I was a drug addict. The list of workers were received from the Minsitry of Internal Affairs". Mamaladze has not seen the list and has never undergone any medical examinations.

The documents on this case were send to the Public Defender’s Office. After the examination and investigation is over, the Public Defender will come up with a comment. 

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