Journalists Find Narcotics Planted in their Bags in Kakheti

Tamar Makharashvili, Kakheti 

Yesterday, journalist Gela Mtivlishvili discovered a powder that looks like narcotics in his bag. He stated that this is not the first time and a similar incident previously occurred.  Mtivlishvili found powder in his bag in October of 2007 for the first time. It must be noted that short time ago, Kakheti based journalist Madona Batiashvili also found the same powder in her bag.

Gela Mtivlishvili assigns the incident to his activities as a journalist. He has been frequently oppressed before and such actions are intended to threaten journalists.

“I have not appealed to the police about the incident as it would be useless. Kakheti regional main department of the Internal Ministry has not investigated the criminal case over my assault, the discovery of a hand grenade, and an explosion in the yard of my house, which happened two times. This is attempted murder of my person. . Furthermore, in 2005 when the office of the regional newspaper where I worked was raided police accused me for having raided my own office because they discovered my finger-prints on the door of the room. Thus, if I had applied to the police regarding the recent incident they might have blamed me for being a drug addict. With the exception of some particular cases, I have not seen any cases of journalist being assault that was actually investigated to the end by the police. Consequently I could not be sure that they would like to assist me or not,” said Mtivlishvili.

Several days ago local governmental officials insulted and proceeded to assault Gela Mtivlishvili at the Sighnaghi Municipality Board. The security guard kicked the journalist out of the building. Fikria Jokharidze, an employee of the board, stated to the journalist that they were ordered to treat him so from the Kakheti Regional Administration. News programs distributed the information about the incident where local governmental officials were being blamed of having prevented the journalist from being engaged in his professional activities. However, law enforcers had not launched any investigation on the incident until the abused journalist applied to the police personally. Anyway, the investigation has not interrogated Mtivlishvili as of yet.

Short time ago, Madona Batiashvili, one of the independent journalists working in Sighnaghi district, also found a powder looking like narcotics in her bag. She spreads critical information about the activities of the local authority. Before that Marina Gogoladze, correspondent of the regional newspaper “Imedi”, was planted a valid bullet in her bag. The journalist was observing protest demonstration in Lagodekhi district.

Madona Batiashvili stated that she can not understand how the substance got into her bag. “I don’t have a relative or a friend who is addicted to narcotics. I cannot say how the powder came to be in my bag. Regardless, I think they wanted to threaten me with that,” said the journalist.

Batiashvili has not appealed to law enforcers for help either.

Representatives of the non-governmental organizations suppose that suppression of independent journalists would further be increased in their region. “In fact, regional journalists are revealing all problems, human rights violations and other facts that happen in the region and the local authority does not appreciate their activities. I have learned from news programs of local or central TV Companies the kinds of problems that you encounter when preparing materials. However, despite all things considered, you somehow manage to accomplish the maximum. Besides that, after the parliamentary elections journalists have found employment at the press-centers of various governmental agencies. With few exceptions of those who refused such offers, some employment opportunities are still being offered. Actually, recent cases of harassments of TV Companies have now started to occur in the regions as well. Such action aims to suppress all free information and I think the situation will be further complicated in the future than it is now,” said Lia Khuroshvili, lawyer for the non-governmental organization “Human Rights Center.