Journalists with Radio Station “Hereti” Complain about Suppression

Georgian Public Defender protests the suppression on Radio Station “Hereti” and demands to start investigation on the case. Sozar Subari stated that the director of the radio station was offered to make a deal with the authority but if they refused the radio station was threatened with shutting down. Georgian regional media association responded to the violence on the independent media station. The NGO called upon the journalists to fight for their rights.

Roman Kevkhishvili, correspondent for the radio station “Hereti” stated that Isako Tskifurishvili, a resident of Lagodekhi district called Ramaz Samkharadze, the director of the company, who is not in Georgia currently, and asked meeting with him.

The audio recording of the over-phone conversation on November 30 2007 demonstrates that Isako Tskifurishvili got in touch with the officials from the central authority through the chairman of the Chamber of Control. In his conversation Tskifurishvili said that he had told the officials that he knew Ramaz Samkharadze and consequently he was sent as a mediator to him. Tskifurishvili explained the director of the radio station that it would take much effort for Mikheil Saakashvili to win the votes of Lagodekhi residents. So he asked the radio station “Hereti” not to criticize the “Joint National Movement.” 

“Isako Tskifurishvili, who has criminal record, advised Ramaz Samkharadze not to criticize the heads of the Kakheti regional election offices of Mikheil Saakashvili, the presidential candidate.  More precisely, the radio should not have criticized Gocha Mamatsashvili and Davit Adeishvili. Tskifurishvili also added that he had called Makharadze according to Davit Kirkitadze’s order, the Secretary General of the Leading Party. In exchange of the implemented work the radio “Hereti” would be paid certain amount of money. Otherwise they threatened with raiding the office like they did with TV Company “Imedi”. Besides that, radio could face some problems with Prosecutor General Zurab Adeishvili who is the brother of the above-mentioned Davit Adeishvili. In addition to that the Regulation Commission of the Communications would involve the case and the Radio “Hereti” might finally suspend its broadcasting,” said Roman Kevkhishvili who added that despite the particular method of threatening Samkharadze categorically refused Tkskifurishvili to accept the deal.

According to “Hereti”, several days later the Regulation Commission of Georgian Communications spread information that the radio station was broadcasting without license.

“The National Commission of Communications has not issued a license on “Hereti” yet; however, the commission announced the radio station as a winner of the competition of license-seekers in April of 2007,” said people from the administration of the Radio Station.

Regarding the incident the Public Defender expressed his deep concern. “I call upon the Communication Commission to avoid becoming the weapon for suppressing the media sources and a body which follows the orders of certain political orders. Besides that I call upon the General Prosecutor’ Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to investigate the incident immediately because the fact unilaterally exposes the fact of threatening with the support of so-called “Zonder-groups”, with Communication Commission. I demand to punish those people who abused the representatives of media station. I request the Interim Georgian President, Nino Burjanadze to supervise the investigation personally,” Subari said.

Isako Tskifurishvili states the accusations of the radio station “Hereti” against him groundless. “I really met Ramaz Samkharadze. We have known each other for a long time. I considered it was my duty to give friendly advice to him. I have not threatened or abused him. I cannot understand why he needed to start such a campaign against me. As for Sozar Subari, I think he should have checked the information before making a statement. He should not have relied on the information provided only by the journalists from the radio station and the secret audio-recording of our conversation. I can repeat the context of our conversation now because I did not threaten him at all. I wish to meet the Ombudsman personally and talk with him about my conversation with Samkharadze in details. Of course if he finds time to meet me…I do not know Kirkitadze at all. At this moment I am consulting with lawyers regarding the case. I am ready to cooperate with investigation and interested journalists. I do not exclude the possibility of my appealing to the court regarding the incident,” said Tskifurishvili.

Kakhi Kurashvili, the head of the legal department of the Regulation Commission of the Communications, said that the Radio “Hereti” has not provided corresponding documents on paid license fee until December 3 2007 which was the deadline for it. Consequently, the commission has not issued the license on broadcasting. If the representatives of the radio station have handed the corresponding documents to the accounting department it is not an official form of cooperation with the administrative body. Unlicensed broadcasting, according to the Georgian Administrative Criminal Code, envisages the fine of five thousand lari…However the representatives of the radio station have recently provided the document on having paid the 20 % of the fee. Thus, the license should be issued within seven working days,” said Kurashvili.

Georgian Regional Media Association spread urgent appeal regarding the recent events about the Radio Station “Hereti.”

“We protest any kind violence against the Radio Station “Hereti” and call upon the journalists to stand up together against the suppression regardless they work in ‘elite” media companies and newspapers or in the poorest conditions in the regions of our country. It is high time to start struggle to protect our rights,” stated the appeal of the association.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti