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Members of Labor Party Called Upon Journalists to Strike

July 8, 2008

Labor Party protests recent negative campaign against TV Company Kavkasia that is being initiated by the Central government. The party members called upon journalist of the Georgian media to boycott the authorities in a show of support of solidarity to “Kavkasia” and not to cover any political event in the next several days.

Soso Shatberashvili, Secretary General of the Labor Party, stated at the briefing today that President Mikheil Saakashvili plans to launch a new large scale attack on Georgian media. Initially they closed down the news program of the TV Company “Mze” and to threaten the commercial base of those who advertise with the TV Company “Kavkasia.” “These organizations supported the TV Company as they fees they pay for advertising help to develop the station and its programming.”

Shatberashvili calls upon the Georgian Society to support and protect all of the Georgian media from the impact of non-democratic activities of the government. They should not allow the authority to sell the building of the Public Broadcasting and remove it to a suburb from the Central district of Tbilisi. Shatberashvili reported that President Saakashvili was the personal initiator of changes being made at GPB.

“Since Saakashvili came into office TV Companies “Channel 9”, “202”, “TV Iberia has been taken off air. The TV Company Imedi was raided and then shut down. Besides, editorial offices were forced out of the building of the Publishing House “Samshoblo”. I am sure the society will support the boycott of journalists,” said Shatberashvili and he promised journalists that if they decide to go on strike their party will take responsibility to gain the support of other opposition parties and will protect them from the governmental repression.

Source: Medianews

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