Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Protester’s Mouths Tied Shut

July 11, 2008

Journalists Again in the Streets Defending Free Speech

Eka Kevanishvili, Tbilisi

“Please come and stand beside us for five minutes. You are journalists and you must protest,”- this is how Mamuka Ghlonti, the establisher of Studio Maestro addressed the journalists during today’s protest that was held in front of Georgian National Communication Commission. Some of journalists were protesting against the restrictions over the freedom of speech while others watched and filmed the actions of their colleagues. However, only very few of them dared to stand up close to the protesters. In showing their dismay over what is going on in Georgia the protesters tied up their mouths shut cloth and held posters: “Freedom of Speech”.

This was the second rally when the demonstrators protested through tying up their mouths. Well known and less well known journalists from Tbilisi and regions gathered in front of the GNCC office to stand up for their professional rights. Apart from commond demands there were separate demands from media sources:  TV Company Kavkasia was demanding to lift the pressure the government had imposed on it. Studio Maestro was demanding granting broadcasting license. Radio Hereti and other regional media sources are experiencing the same kinds of problems. Eliso Chapidze, a journalist and demonstration participants told that she would go anywhere where journalists’ rights were being violated; she also said she would never stand down from her words:

“My protest is instigated by the fact that a license was not provided to the cable TV station Maestro. We know that cable channel has limited financial resources and that is why I want these people to continue their work. This station does not pose a threat to the country and provides a a public service. It’s just that the government was irritated by the programs of Studio Maestro. They became annoyed that intelligent people were openly telling the truth. Apparently, the government is planning to transform all televisions into entertainment channels into instruments that will support its needs. Consequently it has become unacceptable to its representatives that Mamuka Ghlonti is somehow swimming against the current and she is trying to make some serious TV programs on the entertainment channel. I have come here today to show my support and I am willing to go to the court on Monday and protest against the GNCC decision on removing license from Studio Maestro. I will go everywhere where the issue of journalists’ rights protection is being discussed.”

Eliso Chapidze compares the time of former president Eduard Shevardnadze and the situation we have today in terms of the health of the Georgian media.

“This situation reminds me of the early stages of Shevardnadze’s governance. Newspaper Rezonansi was shut down for Shevardnadze’s one caricature. He was drawn naked. Rustavi 2 had problems at that time as well. Our joint efforts resulted in the fact that the TV channel survived a shut down attempt and based on a court decision it was able to continue broadcasting. We had variety of channels and media sources at that time. Of course I did not like everything but we had some choice. Today we have unprecedented lack of choice when it comes to media outlets.

Unfortunately, those journalists whose programs were shut down do not talk out loudly enough about the actual reasons. I still want to know why Eka Khoperia was called and what she was told amid the fact that she stopped her program during a live airing. I want to know what happened on February 4th, 2004 when all talk shows were shut down out of blue. I wonder why it was so difficult to investigate the fact of beating Irakli Imnaishvili, a journalist while everyone knew that Akaki Bobokhidze, the government official had broken the journalist’s nose…. I think if it is necessary everyone must attend a protest and express their opinion in any possible way,” stated Eliso Chapidze.

Every protest participant thought the same and now a court hearing is scheduled for this coming Monday. However, there are no particular high expectations as to the outcomes. All kinds of journalistic protests with tied up mouths or without will continue in the future and until freedom of speech is restored. 

News