Legal Aid Centre for Media Will Assist Journalists

                                                              Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Georgian Young Lawyers Association decided to create Legal Aid Centre for Media because of recent incidents. Local officials have intimidated and interfered in the professional activities of the representatives of regional (not only) media outlets more frequently. Legal Aid Centre offers its support to media representatives in their professional activities.

The centre will have office in every city of Georgia; as well as in Kutaisi and according to founders the center will eradicate every attempt of interference in journalistic activities.

Tamar Gurchiani, project coordinator: “The aim of the centre is to provide media representatives with qualified legal assistance and to protect their rights. The main point is to provide journalists with free legal aid, which will help them in their professional activities. We periodically study court experience and see that journalists use legal instruments very rarely. We will help them to resolve this problem. The oftener they use legal instruments, the more qualified their journalistic activities will be and they will be more protected”.

“The Legal Aid Center for Media” started functioning in Tbilisi (in GYLA) from November 2009 and according to lawyers, they have already launched 10 cases.
 
“We study the case of Tedo Jorbenadze, journalist for regional newspaper “Batumelebi”; he was intimidated and law enforcement officers abused their power in regard with him. They interfered in his personal life. We also study on one more case of newspaper “Batumelebi”; editor and executive director of the newspaper were fined at custom-house. We appealed against this fine but the court did not satisfy it in the first instance and we have appealed at the Appeal Court. We also study a case on Nino Mikiashvili, journalist for “Presa.ge”, who requested information from the Ministry of Penitentiary, Probation and Legal Aid of Georgia but did not receive any reply yet. We have appealed to the Appeal Court in this case too. We were involved in the case of Vakhtang Komakhidze, head of studio “Reporter” VS Ministry of Justice. In this case, journalist requested information about the bonuses of officials. There are other interesting cases, which I think will have successful result,” said Tamar Gurchiani.

At the meeting in Kutaisi office of “Young Lawyers Association” last week, the main attention was paid to several facts of oppression on media representatives and interference in their professional activities by local officials. It was mentioned that journalists should definitely use legal instruments and fight for their rights.

“Creation of the centre within our offices aims to provide legal aid of journalists. It considers legal consultations as well as representation in administrative bodies and court. We also expect recommendations from the journalists which will be appointed in the Parliament by us. All this will support the freedom of media and make journalistic activities more effective” stated the head of Georgian Young Lawyers Association Tamar Khidasheli.

Reportage of TV-company “Real TV” which was full of abusive charges against Vakhtang Komakhidze was also discussed at the meeting.

“We offered our assistance to Vakho Komakhidze and his family members. More precisely we offered them to file complaint to the court and request compensation for damage or denial of released information under Article 18 (to spread abusive and degrading information) of Civil Code of Georgia. We are going to prepare this suit for Vakhtang Komakhidze” stated Tamar Gurchiani.

“Legal Aid Centre for Media” started activities in Kutaisi this week.