Lack of Press Freedoms: Dissident Movement vs. Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB),

Nona Suvarian, Tbilisi

Five journalists have been beaten since the Georgian - Russian war of early August, 2008. Georgian TV Companies are not airing documentary films criticizing the Georgian government. On November 13 independent journalist Irma Inashvili, film-director Levan Anjaparidze and Levan Kordzaia, member of the movement “November 7” held a press-conference at the Hotel “Prima Vere”, where they discussed instances of being harassed and victimized only because they exercised their  Constitutional protection of speech.

“After the war operations came to a close in August 2008, certain “strangers” increased their attacks on independent Georgian journalists. The harassed victims included journalists who criticize the way that the war of early August was conducted in their newspaper, film or on-line publication. It is noteworthy that theses “unknown abusers” do not wear masks, which previously was a clear indication that their activities were carried out in collaboration with security and  law enforcement structures that fall under the umbrella of Saakashvili’s regime. Based on our information, five Georgian journalists were attacked during the last month alone. Moreover, there have been instances when such violent acts have gone unreported and society is remains largely unaware that such violence continues on a frequent basis. However, this is also because our colleagues do not think it is in journalists’ best interests to openly share information about being harassed,” reads the statement.

Journalist Irma Inashvili was personally abused after her documentary film “Deadlock” was presented on November 7.  She was attacked at the entrance of her house, and unlike other cases, no threatening calls were made prior to her attack. Late at night, when Irma was about to enter her house, her name was called and as soon as she looked back, two unmasked men immediately assaulted and physically beat her.

“Documentary film “Deadlock” is about the August war. It also reveals the situation that existed in the run-up to the war in the country. Leaders of almost every political party make statements in the film. The film demonstrates what kind of relationship Georgia had with Russia and the United States over the past 15-20 years. The film also declares that it was Saakashvili who started the war, and as a result of this hostility Georgia lost not only its frozen breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but new territory that had been previously controlled by Georgia has also been lost. As a result of Saakashvili’s propaganda machine, just over one in four citizens, 25-30% of citizens do not realize that Georgia actually lost the war. My aim was to tell the truth. Consequently, when you show this kind of film in a club and afterwards you are attacked at the entrance to your own home and you are not robbed but only beaten, it is not hard to make a definite connection that your life is being threatened. However, they will not frighten us with that; if they break our right hand we will continue writing with left hand.”

It was also stated at the press-conference that the Journalists’ Federation does not fulfill its stated mandate, and in fact the entire responsibility falls on non-governmental human rights organizations.

Journalists also mentioned that several documentary, publicist or fictional films have been produced in recent times but none of them have been aired by any TV Companies.

Irma Inashvili: “Public Broadcasting did not show the documentary film that was prepared by the “November 7” movement nor did they show my films.”

This is clearly against the mandate and charter of Georgian Public Broadcasting, as it is obliged to show such films because the station belongs to everybody and such films represent the greater public perception.

Due to the complicated situation currently existing, journalists and members “November 7” movement decided to show dissident films on the wall of the Public Broadcasting’s building. They will begin showing various films with content that is unacceptable for the government on November 14, 2008 and the name of the event will be “Freedom-on the Wall?!”

Irma Inashvili: “We will start to show these films on November 14 at 7:00 PM. Several documentary films have already been submitted to our organization. We will show an investigative film about the history of Badri Patarkatsishvili that was filmed by Vakhtang Komakhidze; the film of Levan Anjaparidze “This Is Georgia,” and other films produced by the “November 7” movement. We will try to tell the society everything all that we want to say. Unfortunately, it has come to the point when we have to apply dissident methods because Georgia is now a dictatorship and journalists have no other way out.”

Irakli Kordzaia: “We have bitter experience of correspondence with the Public Broadcasting. However, none of our attempts of getting in touch with them have been successful. Thus, we decided to show these films to the society on the wall of the Public Broadcasting Station.”

Film-director Levan Anjaparidze told that everybody should fight this “Empire of Cruelty” with all possible methods available.