Amnesty International urges authorities of occupied Tskhinvali to stop ‘criminal’ proceedings against local journalists
It is also mentioned in the statement that few journalists are prepared to face the same pressure and possible consequences as Tamara Mearakishvili and Irina Kelekhsaeva, and report on issues that would irritate the authorities. Photo: Amnesty International.
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Amnesty International urges the de facto authorities in Georgia’s breakaway territory of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) to stop “criminal proceedings” against two local journalists, Tamara Mearakishvili and Irina Kelekhsaeva.
The de facto authorities should refrain from using any other retaliatory measures against these and any of their critics and ensure that any person in Tskhinvali region is able to exercise their right to freedom of expression, without harassment, intimidation, risk to personal freedom and fear of any reprisals”, reads Amnesty International’s statement.
Female civil activist Tamar Mearakishvili was illegally detained in Akhalgori near the Russian occupied region of Georgia, Tskhinvali, on August 16, 2017.
The de facto authorities charged Mearakishvili with the crime of ‘defamation’ and accused her of the acquisition and use of false documents.
Mearakishvili has been outspoken on various social and economic problems that her community faces and often criticizes the de facto authorities on issues of corruption, human rights and governance.
Non-government organization Amnesty International writes that ‘there are no grounds of criminal proceedings against Mearakishvili and the de facto authorities sole purpose is to silence her’.
Irina Kelekhsaeva, a journalist of Ekho Kavkaza in the regional capital of Tskhinvali, was sued by the de facto Minister of Justice of South Ossetia for defamation for her publication on the worsening conditions in prisons in Tskhinvali region. The minister alleged that Kelekhsaeva was disseminating defamatory information about her.
In February 2020, a de facto judge decided that the de facto Prosecutor General’s Office should determine whether to initiate criminal processing against Irina Kelekhsaeva under Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation3 (defamation). If found guilty, she may face a fine up to US$ 6,000. Irina Kelekhsaeva believes that the authorities are deploying the tactics of extended criminal proceedings against her to silence and discourage both her and other critics”, reads the official statement of Amnesty International.
Amnesty International opposes all laws criminalising defamation, whether of public figures or private individuals, which should only be treated as a matter for civil litigation.
It is also mentioned in the statement that few journalists are prepared to face the same pressure and possible consequences as Tamara Mearakishvili and Irina Kelekhsaeva, and report on issues that would irritate the authorities.