TV Imedi announces emergency pre-election regime

Imedi TV channel has announced they will operate in a way so as not to allow the ‘old regime’ [referring to Mikheil Saakshvili’s United National Movement] to return to power.

We have experienced severe attacks under the United National Movement leadership and now we are changing the programme schedule to not allow the regime come back,” the Imedi TV announcement reads.

The Imedi TV leadership says that the presidency of the United National Movement candidate Grigol Vashadze is unacceptable for them, claiming Vashadze will pardon former President Mikheil Saakashvili, former Interior Minister Ivane Merabishvili and former law enforcement officials Data and Bacho Akhalaia.

The names are related to the criminal regime of the United National Movement,” Imedi TV says.

Imedi controls a private television channel and a radio company, which was founded by billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili in 2003.

The channel was most watched in 2007, during the opposition rallies against the UNM government.

In November of the same year the UNM government accused Patarkatsishvili of organising a coup and raided the TV channel.  

After the death of Patarkatsishvili in 2008 former Economy Minister of Georgia under the UNM Giorgi Arveladze  chaired the channel.

The Patarkatsishvili family was able to return the media outlet into their possession after the change of government in 2012.