Police Persecutes Journalists

 Shorena Ghlonti, Guria

On February 8 “Guria News” spread special statement against threatening and intimidation of journalists and hard situation in regional media. On the same day officials of Ozurgeti district police detained Irakli Dolidze, journalist for “Guria News”.

The statement of “Guria News” states: “We call upon every person who supports independent media! We want to declare from the very beginning that we do not appeal to central and local government of Georgia or law enforcement bodies; because our appeals about intimidation of independent media to them have never had any results so far. These facts convince us that all incidents in relation with independent media occur under their permission. Facts of threatening, abusing and intimidation of journalists, persecution of their family members, blackmailing have increased recently though it was not enough to subdue “Guria News”. Thus, local government made their fights against freedom of expression more open: they oppress distributors of Guria News more frequently. Distributers are forced to stop working for Guria News and hand out new edition which is private edition only nominally.”

Gia Uridia, the head of Ozurgeti District Police and his deputy Lasha Bakuradze detained Irakli Dolidze, the correspondent of Guria News, when he was taking a photo of police officials. Uridia and Bakuradze seized his photo camera and private mobile phone and insulted him”, Guria News spread this type of statement on the second day of the incident, on February 9.

The officials of the editorial office came to the police station and requested the equipment and punishment of those people who interfered into professional activities of journalists. We also requested a paper to write an application and registered our appeal officially. Officer of the day answered: Go away and write outside. We called 022. After a delay they answered. We informed the police again and requested the head of police department to help and protect us, but they hang up receiver. When we went out, several policemen were holding the officer-on-duty, who was insulting and threatening us with physical liquidation”, it is said in the statement of “Guria News”.

Shota Gogiberidze, the head of Ozurgeti district office of “National Forum” states that those Georgian citizens who live in regions have to watch pro-governmental channels. They can read different opinions only in the newspapers, but the real estimation and healthy criticism annoys the local officials so much, that they do not avoid intimidation of journalists.

According to Tipo Mikatadze, the head of Guria regional office of “Republic Party”, the government tries to subdue non controlled media sources and lead the country into deadlock of illegality.

Ozurgeti district office of the “Movement for Just Georgia “condemned oppression on journalists and stated that situation in the field freedom of expression is terrible in Georgia.

“These facts did not start now; the government tries to quiet freedom of speech and create pocket newspapers in regions to deceive people. The local government does not feel comfortable because of the elections and started propaganda. Their methods became older and their activities demonstrate that their authority is fading away,” Lela Natsvaladze reported to the Human Rights Centre, the head of Ozurgeti district office of the “Movement for Just Georgia”.

Jaba Zerekidze, the lawyer of Young Lawyers Association stated that according to the legislation of Georgia, “it is criminal crime to disturb journalistic activities, to force the journalist to spread or not to spread information.” According to the Criminal Code, threatening and abusing power aggravates the charges for the crime.

“The Constitution of Georgia is guarantee for the freedom of mass information sources. On the one hand, this freedom means - each person, among them journalist has right to find, to receive, provide and spread any information. According to the European Convention of Human Rights and Basic Freedom,” everyone has right to freedom of expression, it means freedom of person to have personal views, to receive and spread them, also they should act without interference of government”.

Local media representatives can protect themselves from police by informing the society. This was the aim of the special statements, which were spread by two newspapers.