Journalists Robbed in Gori District

On August 24 at 2:00 pm criminal formation attacked and robbed journalists near the village of Tkviavi in they Gori district. The criminals also high jacked the car and drove off.

Saba Tsitsikashvili, journalist and coordinator of the Human Rights Center’s Gori office and Gia Iakobashvili, Kote Stalinski, Irakli Goguadze and Maka Tsiklauri, journalists for the online newspaper www.pressa.ge were planning to make a report from a Russian checkpoint. Near the village of Tkviavi armed people stopped the journalists and ordered them to get out off the car and to put their hands in the air. Saba Tsitsikashvili reported that the attackers were young people and that they spoke with a Ossetian accent.

They proceeded to steal car of the journalists a (Ford, TBS 608), two video-cameras, and photo camera. The robbers then disappeared in the direction of Tskhinvali. One of the attackers was driving a car with the license plate number AVE 329.

The Human Rights Center appeals to law enforcers to take action in follow-up to the incident and to guarantee the security of civilians in the region.