TV Pirveli cameraman attacked at Tbilisi Pride counter rally dies
Four people have been detained for assaulting TV Pirveli journalist and a cameraman during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally. Photo: Shot from TV Pirveli video
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TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, 36, was found dead at home this morning. Lashkarava was one of the 53 media representatives who were attacked by right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on June 5.
Lashkarava, who had received a concussion, facial bone fractures and multiple bruises, underwent treatment at home after the medical surgery.
Police took Lekso’s body for a forensic examination to define the exact reason of his death.
A total of 53 representatives of various media outlets have been injured while covering the rally of right wing activists against the Tbilisi Pride march that was scheduled for July 5. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Meanwhile, Interior Ministry has announced that the investigation into Lashkarava’s death has started under the Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Georgia – ‘incitement to suicide’.
Four people were detained for assaulting Lashkarava and his colleague from TV Pirveli while performing his professional duties in the office of the Shame Movement located on Ingorokva Street in Tbilisi on July 5.
Four more right-wing activists have been arrested for assault, persecution and group violence against journalists and cameramen during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5.
A Polish tourist who was stabbed on Khetagurovi Street in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on July 5 has recovered and left Aladashvili Clinic today.
Four individuals have been sentenced to two months pre-trial detention for verbally and physically assaulting employees of TV Pirveli and Mtavari TV on July 5 at the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride March.
A protest rally will be held in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi at 6 p. m. demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili after TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava was found dead earlier today.
Georgian and foreign officials are saddened by news of the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava earlier today.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has named drug overdose as a possible reason for the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava earlier today.
Following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava earlier today, 19 NGOs have demanded the immediate resignation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Vakhtang Gomelauri, due to ‘the severe consequences of the violence on July 5. TV Pirveli cameraman Lashkarava was attacked on July 5 by Tbilisi Pride counter protesters.
Foreign embassies in Georgia and international organisations have sent condolences to the Georgian public following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten up by Tbilisi Pride counter demonstrators on July 5.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians have gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi to pay tribute to the late TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and demand Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation.
Right-wing businessman Levan Vasadze, who founded political movement Unity, Essence, Hope earlier in May, has blamed US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan for the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who had been previously beaten up by the right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march.
Foreign officials and media organisations have demanded an impartial investigation into the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was attacked by right wing protesters on July 5 during the Tbilisi Pride counter-rally and later passed away on July 11.
Tbilisi City Court has denied bail to Davit Kutaladze – the latest of five individuals accused of attacking TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and journalist Miranda Bagaturia on July 5 during the Tbilisi Pride counter-rally to come before the court.
Police have detained one more individual for attacking the Georgian Public Broadcaster cameraman on RustavePolice have detained one more individual for attacking a Georgian Public Broadcaster cameraman on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march.li Avenue on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march.
Over 200 media representatives have called on the General Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to launch an investigation into the violence against dozens of journalists by right-wing activists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5.
Police have detained one more individual for attacking a TV Pirveli cameraman Levan Bregvadze on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5 during the Tbilisi Pride march counter-rally.
Ushangi Datunashvili and Irakli Tsignadze, accused of attacking TV Pirveli and Rustavi 2 cameramen at the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally on July 5, have been denied bail.
“The Georgian church has been the target of severe attacks from certain forces”, the Georgian patriarchate has stated earlier today, adding that the situation became ‘even more tense and aggressive’ in Georgian media following the July 5-6 demonstrations in Tbilisi.
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch has expressed his disappointment over violent attacks on journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5 and the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court ‘in contravention of the EU-mediated agreement.’ Risch spoke about the physical assault of 53 journalists by right-wing protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally in the country’s capital and the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava.
Five more people have been arrested for group violence, persecution and assault of journalists and three people have been detained for damaging the office of Tbilisi Pride during a right-wing counter rally on July 5. Three of the 32 detainees from the rally of July 6 were fined for administrative violation, the maximum fine of which is 3,500 GEL (about $1,107/€934).
Georgian cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten up by Tbilisi Pride counter demonstrators on July 5 and died on July 11, tops the August ranking of the One Free Press Coalition’s ‘10 Most Urgent’ list of journalists who were attacked while performing professional duties.
Anchor of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) Irakli Absandze has been dismissed from his job ‘for the violation of the channel’s code of conduct,’ particularly stipulations which regulate the use of social media by the GPB’s journalists.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has asked the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch a criminal prosecution against archpriest Spiridon Tskipirishvili and a right-wing activist and an anchor of ultra-nationalist Internet platform Alt-Info Zurab Makharadze for their role on an anti-LGBT demonstration in central Tbilisi in early July.
The Georgian State Inspector’s Office has fined the country’s Interior Ministry 2,000 GEL for a violation of the personal data law by releasing footage from July 11, 2021 depicting the deceased cameraman of TV Pirveli Lekso Lashkarava.
Journalists of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Borjomi TV are the winners of an award in honor of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava.
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteurs Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) and Claude Kern (France, ALDE) have expressed their concern over the 'extremely polarised' political climate in Georgia following their visit to the country.
Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has released the results of an autopsy performed on TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, dated December 30, 2021, earlier today to the media.
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced Irakli Kavlashvili to two years in prison for attacking a Palitra News TV cameraman at a right-wing counter-rally organised against Tbilisi Pride on July 5 last year.
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced six individuals to up to two years in prison for attacking journalists and camera professionals of Mtavari Arkhi, Formula TV and Imedi TV channels at a right-wing counter-rally organised against Tbilisi Pride march on July 5, 2021.
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced six individuals to five years in prison for attacking TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and journalist Miranda Baghaturia, at a right-wing counter rally organised against Tbilisi Pride march on July 5, 2021.
Tbilisi City Court has sentenced seven individuals to a year in prison for attacking TV Pirveli cameraman Levan Bregvadze, Interpressnews agency photo reporter Giorgi Nikolishvili and one more individual at the right-wing counter rally organised against the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5, 2021.
Law enforcement will “prevent acts of violence” during the planned Tbilisi Pride Week, Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhveidze said on Wednesday after right-wing organisers from Alt-Info media outlet called for a “disruption” of announced events for marking LGBTQ rights starting later this month.