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Hard Work to Achieve Journalistic Impartiality

September 28, 2007

“The only function of Press-Service Department within the Internal Ministry is not to bear its responsibilities.” 

“In reply to your appeal we inform that Chapter III of the Common Administrative Code defines kinds of public information and claims responsibility on public officials to issue public information. According to the Chapter 2 Section I-L and some other regulations within the law, the information you demand in your appeal is not public,” it was the reply from the Penitentiary Department within the Georgian Ministry of Justice the Human Rights Center received ten days later.

Human Rights Center petitioned to the Penitentiary Department and demanded permission on entering the Juvenile Prison, making reportage there, taking photos and hearing comments from the representatives of the prison administration. Their refusal was reinforced by the definition of the Administrative Code in the above-mentioned letter.

Having received the reply, Human Rights Center got in touch with Salome Makharadze, the head of the Public Relation Department within the Penitentiary Department and asked explanation for refusal. Makharadze was too short in her comments: “We discussed your petition and decided that you do not have right to enter the prison. Director of the jail does not want to make comments with you. As for the obscure context of our reply, it has simple reason-lawyers won the game with their statements.” Journalist for the Human Rights Center could not understand what she meant under “game”.

Most journalists of printed media complain that in order to receive shortest comments on various facts they have to prepare special application for public information, deliver it at the place, register it at the chancellery of the department, take number of it and then wait for the reply for at least ten days.

Eka Sekhniashvili, newspaper “Alia”: “I encounter with similar problems very often. Our newspaper is daily edition and we need to work operatively; thus we have to prepare materials within shortest period of time, but I have to send official petitions to governmental bodies to receive the simplest questions. I encounter most problems with State Chancellery. It is almost impossible to get in touch with the official who is in charge of similar duties. Law enforcement bodies never give valid information to journalists unless you have some close person within the department. However, there are some exceptions who actively cooperate with journalists; for example, Chamber of Control, Public Registry, Statistics Department and Press-Service Center of the Georgian Parliament.

Lali Rozomashvili, a journalist for the newspaper “Resonance”: “I would advise all journalists to change their minds if they are going to get in touch with the Internal Ministry or other law enforcement bodies. You will never get useful information from them. In order to prepare balanced article journalists should do hard work. Many journalists have already stopped demanding public information from law enforcement bodies. However, if we do not enclose their official comment on the article, they start complaining about unbalanced publication. It is ridiculous; how we can balance it if they do not give comments. I remember one occasion when I demanded public information from the Internal Ministry while Guram Donadze was the head of the Press Service Department. Two weeks later I received a reply from them but it was completely useless for article because all my questions were answered with one word: “no” or “yes”. I have kept that letter. Nowadays the situation is even worse. You should never expect proper reply from the Internal Ministry. I should say that situation is much better at the Ministry of Justice.”

Rezo Getiashvili, representative of the journalistic center “Discover Georgia”: “Similar situation started in winter of 2006 and it still goes on. More precisely, situation has already finished because I decided not to demand public information from governmental bodies. I officially applied to the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Monument Protection for public information. I received their reply sixteen months later. (?!) Governmental Bodies answer only those questions that are important and interesting for them. But if you neglect their interests the information will be certainly blocked. I will also declare that the aim of Press-Service Department within the Internal Ministry is not to bear its responsibilities. It is incredible to get through their phones. Moreover, employees of the Internal Ministry are ordered not to make comments on any situation without press-service center. But the problem is that nobody can get in touch with press-service center. Short time ago I encountered another problem in Bolnisi. I was preparing item on environmental problem there. I cooperated with local government as well as commercial shops, medical institutions, etc. Can you imagine that even shops were ordered not to make comments with journalists unless they agreed the topic with Press Service Department of the local administration?”

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Human Rights Center’s Gori Office: “Regarding issuing public information we should state that the most difficult situation is in Shida Kartli region. Nobody allows journalists to enter the building of Administrative Board and they do not accept our letters either. If any journalist were lucky and managed to hand in the letter to the Chancellery that letter disappeared very soon. Similar situation is not only in the Administrative Board but in the police department and Prosecutor’s Office. Officials send us to the Press-Service Department within the Internal Ministry for the simplest information. But nobody answers our calls and letters at the ministry. Short time ago we sent letter to the Penitentiary Department about a sick prisoner who had blood cancer. We demanded information about his health conditions but we have not received their answer yet.”

On September 14 Human Rights Center petitioned to the Georgian Defense Ministry and demanded the statistics and the list of alternative military occupations the ministry offers the citizens. It took a week to receive a reply from the Ministry which stated: Human Rights Center should apply to the Department for Veterans about similar information.

Most journalists of printed media state that accessibility to public information is too urgent problem in Georgia that is on its way to democratic development. Law enforcement bodies and State Chancellery are initiators of this problem.

Nino Tarkhnishvili, Tbilisi 

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