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Due to State of Emergency Free Flow of Information Restricted through All Independent Televisions and Radios

November 8, 2007

Due to the state of emergency imposed on the entire territory of Georgia for the forthcoming 15 days the rights enumerated in Articles 24, 25 and 33 of the Constitution of Georgia have been restricted. As a result the right to freely receive and disseminate information orally, in written or in any other form has been ceased through all independent TV and radio stations. 

The emergency rules entered into force against the decree issued on November 8 by President Mikheil Saakashvili. The parliament has to be convened within the next 48 hours and approve the presidential decree.
Under the decree receiving and disseminating of information will only be conducted by the Georgian Public Broadcasting (GPB).

Restrictions shall be imposed on demonstrations, manifestations and strikes.
For the time being no news programmes are provided through any independent broadcaster, TV companies Imedi TV and Kavkasia are off the air. From November 8 the periodic press is on sale in Tbilisi.
The state of emergency was declared in Georgia on November 7 consequent to the unrest in Tbilisi. Since November 2 the opposition had been conducting protest rallies in the capital. The riot police used water cannons, batons and  tear gas to disperse the protesters. Many citizens including Georgian and foreign journalists and, reportedly, 24 policemen were injured.

Pursuant to the official statement made by the government one part of the opposition, having links with the Russian special services, had been plotting a state coup.
Militaries are deployed in the central streets of Georgia.

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