Why Are Journalists Insulted?

                                                                                             
                                                                                    Eka Kevanishvili

During last month, two facts of oppression on regional journalists occurred. Editor of newspaper “Kartlis Khma” Saba Tsitsakishvili was pushed down the stairs in Shida Kartli district administration; Madona Batiashvili correspondent for the radio “Hereti” was insulted in Kakheti. Other regional media representatives have also subjected to such oppression. Many presentations were dedicated to this problem. HR defenders often appeal to international organizations for help, but they are still intimidated by local governmental officials.

Controversy between journalist Saba Tsitsakishvili who works in Shida Kartli and local authority is well-known fact for Georgian media. According to Tsitsikashvili, everything happens because of his critical articles and journalistic surveys. Last conflict happened few days ago. On January 22 when journalist visited district administration to get requested public information, he was beaten and pushed down the stairs by security guard. “Security guard with whom I had conflict before, hit me, cursed and pushed me down the stairs, I was crashed against the column and the door, after this he hit me in the back,” said Tsitsakishvili. 

According to Tsitsakishvili, short time before the incident, at the special event organized by regional governor where he wanted to present his annual report, Saba Tsitsikashvili distributed copies of the newspaper “Kartlis Khma” whit his letter about unreasonable expenditure of district budget, the regional governor had taken bonus illegally. Tsitsakishvili had no problem of visiting the district administration before that day, but situation changed since then. “Apparently, they thought my visits were dangerous and estimated new restrictions for me.”

According to Saba Tsitsakishvili, abovementioned article irritated Shida Kartli regional governor Lado Vardzelashvili; it was kind of alternative report of the annual report of the regional governor.

Besides “Kartlis Khma” the same article was published on online newspaper www.humanrights.ge. Editor of the website Aleko Tskitishvili thinks that the fact of oppression on Tsitsakishvili has one special motive - to remove undesirable journalists from local media. According to Tskitishvili, the reason of such approach is low culture of public officials of relation with journalists.

The Human Rights Centre and the initiative group of Trade Union of Media Representatives commented on physical assault of Tsitsakishvili. The Human Rights Centre prepared special appeal to international organizations. According to the executive director of the organization Ucha Ninuashvili, impurity syndrome which is reigning in the country directly influences professional activities of journalists. Nobody has ever reacted on the intimidation of Saba Tsitsakishvili and nobody has been punished for it yet”.

According to the member of the initiative group of Trade Union of Media Representatives Marika Bochoridze, they are not going to put up with the oppression on journalists and they will protest such incidents with every possible means.
Radio “Freedom” got in touch with the Shida Kartli deputy regional governor Giorgi Avaliani and asked him how correct the physical assault of journalist because of his professional activity was. Avaliani replied that the fact of beating Tsitsakishvili is false and local authority has perfect relationship with media. Tsitsakishvili is known as a provocative journalist. “There is no reason for local authority to react on his activities. We have good relations with mass media. Tsitsakishvili is the only exception and the main thing is that he tries to promote himself and attract attention in this way,” said Avaliani.

We asked Avaliani if they are tolerant only with those journalists who do not publish critical articles about them. Avaliani replied “Quite critical but constructive articles are published about us, but Saba Tsitsakishivili’s articles have no connection with real situation and the point is that he does not criticize or give advice to the authority, but he only abuses us.”

Journalist Zviad Koridze suggests Giorgi Avaliani and all other officials who think that journalists write incorrect information: “There is a Media Council, Ethic Charter Council to which they can appeal and file complaints about such journalists or they can even appeal to court”.

However, Koridze points out that self-consciousness reduces in the lower layers of our governmental officials and they think appealing to the court is shameful. Besides that, they consider themselves to be feudal and not governors who should not appeal to the court. They forget about their obligation on patience which shall be higher responsibility for governmental officials.”

Zviad Koridze also thinks that all the facts of oppression, threatening and beating of journalists are known for the person who sits on the top of the governmental pyramid. He is sure that security guard cannot beat journalist willfully, it was permitted by higher officials. “You should make public order”- public order in their language means to keep silence especially before elections.

Consequently, bravery of journalists working in the region, Saba Tsitsakishvili and correspondent of radio “Hereti” Madona Batiashvili are among them, is good example for Koridze. Two days before, journalist Madona Batiashvili became the victim of authority oppression. Two days before, local officials and their relatives almost banned Batiashvili to have on-live interview with radio “Hereti”, because representatives of local officials arrived at the place the journalist had to make the interview. They insulted the journalists on-live.

Madona Batiashvili doubts the motive of the arrival of local officials and their relatives at the place was to ban the journalist to make critical statements about district governor who was sitting in the studio of radio “Hereti”.

These two deferent incidents about Tsitsakishvili and Batiashvili are little example of persecution on regional journalists.

Journalists have same problems in Guria, Samegrelo, Ajara and other regions, everywhere where local media does not avoid writing about problems.

Source: Radio “Freedom”