PM Bakhtadze: ECHR ruling on Rustavi 2 confirmed absence of justice under previous gov’t
Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says that the freedom of speech and media pluralism are one of the biggest achievements of the Georgian Dream government. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office.
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Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says that yesterday’s ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Rustavi 2 ownership dispute confirmed that justice was neglected by the United National Movement leadership (UNM).
The ECHR ruling effectively allowed the return of 100 per cent of the channel’s shares to its former owner Kibar Khalvashi, who argued that Rustavi 2 was illegally seized from him by the UNM government in 2006.
People were killed, abused, their property rights were violated and they were tortured by the previous state leadership. The verdict was yet another confirmation that we have been dealing with pseudo-democratic forces who were pretending to be pro-western,” Bakhtadze said.
Rustavi 2 has the right to appeal the verdict of the ECHR to the Grand Chamber of the same court within three months. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Bakhtadze cited the current leadership of the channel as saying that the editorial policy of Rustavi 2 will remain unchanged.
Media pluralism is our greatest achievement and we should take good care of it,” Bakhtadze said.
Bakhtadze said that the demands of the opposition for the Justice Ministry of Georgia to not register the shares of the channel in the name of Khalvashi were ‘demagogy.’
Bakhtadze said that Khalvashi presented a document which allowed him to regain the shares and the Justice Ministry and its agency “had no right” not to take the step.
Members of the United National Movement opposition held a press conference earlier today, saying that the channel is now “occupied by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili [founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party].”
UNM members vowed that they will “make the channel and the country free,” through the 2020 parliamentary elections, “when we defeat them.”
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 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 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.
Tbilisi City Court has denied a request to freeze the shares of Rustavi 2 TV channel, as was demanded by ex-Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili, who says that he paid seven million USD to buy the media outlet back in 2004, when he served as Prosecutor General under the United National Movement leadership.
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.”
Tbilisi City Court has ruled that 60 per cent of shares of TV channel Rustavi 2 be frozen after two founders of the channel filed a lawsuit against current owner Kibal Khalvashi last week. Khalvashi, who stated his shares were illegally confiscated under the United National Movement leadership back in 2006, won the ownership dispute in the European Court of Human Rights in July 2019.