Rustavi 2 registered in former owner Khalvashi’s name following ECHR’s verdict
Nika Gvaramia has already been dismissed as the General Director of Rustavi 2. Photo: IPN.
Tweet 
Share
The Georgian Public Registry Agency has registered the shares of Rustavi 2 in the name of its former owner Kibar Khalvashi after today’s verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Khalvashi’s lawyer addressed the agency to introduce changes in the Rustavi 2 registration document as the ECHR upheld the verdicts of the Georgians courts and allowed the return of 100 percent of shares of the channel to Khalvashi.
We presented the verdict of the Supreme Court of Georgia in the case and the agency was obliged to make the changes,” Khalvashi’s lawyer Paata Salia said.
Salia has been nominated as the replacement of Director General of Rustavi 2 Nika Gvaramia.
Paata Salia to become the new director General of Rustavi 2. Photo: 1TV.
However, Gvaramia says that his special contract allows him to stay on the channel until December 31, 2020.
I have not seen the contract. As far as I have heard Gvaramia says that we must pay five million USD if decide to dismiss him preterm. When Khalvashi comes to the channel as the new owner, he will be able to see the contract,” Salia said.
A document released by the Public Registry Agency reads that Gvaramia has already been dismissed and Salie appointed in the role.
Employees of Rustavi 2 have released a statement in which they say that they are “disappointed by the verdict” of the European court, which “left us alone in the fight for justice.”
They said that Gvaramia is the guarantee of the channel’s editorial policy, stating that they do not believe in Khalvashi who vowed “zero involvement” in the channel’s editorial policy.
Leader of the United National Movement Grigol Vashadze says that the ECHR verdict doesn't reflect the Georgian reality.
The opposition has urged the government not to allow the registration of shares under Khalvashi’s name until the current leadership of Rustavi 2 appeals the verdict in the Grand Chamber of the ECHR.
They say that the case is not complete until the Grand Chamber delivers its verdict.
Khalvashi will not become the owner of the channel until the Grand Chamber delivers its verdict,” leader of the United National Movement opposition Grigol Vashadze said.
He said that “he trusts in the decisions of the European Court. However, the verdict does not reflect the Georgian reality.”
Leader of the Movement for Building, former Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili, says that the appeal of verdicts in the Grand Chamber does not allow the suspension of the verdict by a local court [if it is declared fair by ECHR].
From the legal point of view the enforcement of the verdict of the Georgian Supreme court is in full line with law,” Usupashvili said.
Rustavi 2 has the right to appeal the verdict within three months.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said the recent verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster’s ownership dispute was “unprecedented”. President Zurabishvili believes that with this verdict the ECHR has recognised impartiality of the Georgian court and fairness of its decisions.
Paata Salia, who replaced Nika Gvaramia as the director general of Rustav 2, went to the TV company and spoke with the team late on July 18 to set further goals. Salia told the journalists that he does not intend to interfere in the editorial policy and the team may continue working as they did before the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights.
Former owner of Rustavi 2 Kibar Khalvashi has stated that the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights on Rustavi 2 has dispelled all doubts regarding the channel’s ownership, confirming that the ‘only lawful owner of the TV is me.’ He said that he has no plans to get involved in the editorial policy of the channel,
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has released its verdict on the Rustavi 2 private broadcaster’s ownership dispute earlier today, upholding the verdicts of Georgian courts on the case.Rustavi 2 and its current owners earlier filed with the ECHR as plaintiffs, claiming that the Georgian Court of Appeals and Supreme Court had delivered unfair verdicts.
Nino Nizharadze, a nine per cent shareholder of the opposition-minded Rustavi 2 channel, has addressed the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation against the channel director, former Minister of Justice Nika Gvaramia.
Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani has dismissed the allegations of Rustavi 2 private broadcaster director Nika Gvaramia regarding the government’s interest in shutting down the opposition-leaning channel and stated that no decision might be enforced by state agencies concerning the channel Rustavi 2 until the European Court of Human Rights delivers a verdict in the broadcaster’s ownership issue.
Georgian former Defence Minister under the United National Movement leadership Irakli Okruashvili has addressed Tbilisi City Court to freeze Rustavi 2 shares, which were yesterday returned to his former ally and friend Kibar Khalvashi.
Georgian former Defence Minister under the United National Movement leadership Irakli Okruashvili has addressed Tbilisi City Court to freeze Rustavi 2 shares, which were yesterday returned to his former ally and friend Kibar Khalvashi.
The United States Embassy in Georgia said the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Rustavi 2 ownership dispute should be implemented “in a manner that is fair, apolitical, and allows for a multitude of opinions to be represented in the media.” "Freedom of speech and a media landscape representative of a plurality of views are foundations of democracy”, the US Embassy said.
Nika Gvaramia, a former Director General of Rustavi 2 TV, who was dismissed as soon as the ex-owner of the channel Kibar Khalvashi was given back his shares of the channel July 18, has announced the creation of a new channel, “which will start broadcasting earlier than you think.”
The Prosecutor’s Office plans to question ex-director of opposition minded TV channel Rustavi 2 for alleged abuse of power during his term. Official charges have not yet been brought against former director Nika Gvaramia, who will be asked to provide explanations of certain financial transactions which a former shareholder says were meant to bankrupt Rustavi 2.
Dismissed Director General of Georgian private broadcaster Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia has been questioned at Tbilisi City Court today. The questioning lasted more than two hours. Nika Gvaramia said the questions mainly referred to the advertising contracts [he concluded].
Bail has been set at 40,000 GEL for former director general of opposition-minded TV channel Rustavi 2, Nika Gvaramia, who stands accused of abuse of power during his time in the position. Gvaramia also has been banned from leaving the country without the consent of prosecutors, who earlier had demanded bail be set at 80,000 GEL.
Georgian prosecutor Zviad Gubeladze who is working on Rustavi 2 case says that the ex-head of the TV channel Nika Gvaramia’s guilt in the case of the misuse of the TV station's funds back in 2015 is proved by the testimony of the company’s accountant. Former director general of Rustavi 2 Nika Gvaramia along with former financial director of the TV company Kakhaber Damenia and head of LTD Intermedia Plus Zurab Iashvili were charged with misspending of funds, bribery and fabrication of documents after the Rustavi 2 was returned to its former owner Kibar Khalvashi in July 2019.