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Journalists of Newspaper “Guriis Moambe” were Beaten

August 1, 2006

Journalists of Newspaper “Guriis Moambe” were Beaten

Head of Guria Labor, Social Security and Public Health Department Levan Skamkochaishvili beat the Head of regional, independent newspaper “Guriis Moambe’s” news service Shorena Ghlonti and Chokhatauri-based correspondent of that newspaper Giorgi Siradze in his own office. The incident took place on July 28. (Guria is a region in western Georgia).

Levan Skamkochaishvili got a phone call in the morning of that day from the abovementioned journalists, he was asked to give commentaries over a certain case. Skamkochaishvili invited them to his office where he attacked the journalists and broke Siradze’s photo camera and Ghlonti’s Dictaphone. However, the journalists managed to save the audio recording of Skamkochaishvili’s threats and swearing.

The incident took place at 11 am. Later the journalists filed a complaint in Regional Prosecutor’s Office where they gave testimonies. The police launched the investigation of the criminal case under 154th article of Criminal Code (illegal hindering of journalistic activities). The investigation is carried out by Ozurgeti Police Department.

“Guriis Moambe” protests about the incident and declares that this is not the first time the representatives of local Labor, Social Security and Public Health Department pressure journalists.

The newspaper asks the Georgian Minister of Labor, Social Security and Public Health Lado Chipashvili to immediately fire Skamkochaishvili. At the same time the newspaper asks nongovernmental organizations and mass media outlets to react to that fact and show support.

Ombudsman of Georgia expresses his concern over the fact and demands that Head of Guria Labor, Social Security and Public Health Department Levan Skamkochaishvili be punished in accordance with the law.

The journalists do not know the exact reasons, why Skamkochaishvili was irritated, but they exclude personal confrontation and connect the fact with the recent articles on health care problems published in the newspaper “Guriis Moambe”.

Giorgi Siradze states, that he had no personal relations with L. Skamkochaishvili. On July 28, he returned from Chokhatauri and followed Shorena Ghlonti to the interview as a photo correspondent. He also remembered that three doctors were detained in Chokhatauri on charges of drug selling. The issue was covered in details only by newspaper “Guriis Moambe”. Giorgi Siradze notes that he had actively participated in the investigation of this issue and states that the aggression towards him might have sparked from the fact. It also should be noted, that during the incident, L. Skamkochaishvili addressed the journalists in the plural form stating that he would not give a comment to their newspaper. Therefore, aggression of Skamkochaishvili was directed to the newspaper and its journalists in general.
L. Skamkochaishvili has not commented on the fact yet. It was impossible to contact him, as according to his family, he was not in the district and was unreachable by the phone. The investigation plans to interrogate Skamkochaishvili on July 29.

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