Journalists hold solidarity rally in front of gov’t administration building after death of TV Pirveli cameraman
Protest rallies were held in various places throughout Georgia today expressing solidarity with media. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Representatives of various media organisations have gathered in front of the building of the government administration on Ingorokva Street to pay tribute to TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was attacked on June 5 by a group of Tbilisi Pride counter rally protesters, and who died earlier today, presumably due to his injuries.
Everyone, who has the smallest contribution [to the death of Lashkarava] should be strictly punished”, journalist of Interpressnews agency Eka Lemonjava said.
Teona Khubilava, journalist of the First Channel of the Georgian Public Broadcaster said it does not matter which media they represent, they are in solidarity to one another.
Journalists and cameramen have gathered today in front of the building of the government administration despite their editorial policies. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Stating that “violence is not an option”, another journalist Mariam Kurdiani said that Lekso Lashkarava’s death is not the tragedy of one single person, but the entire media.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians who had gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation have meanwhile marched to the government administration building.
They demand PM Garibashvili’s resignation by 12 p.m. tomorrow, July 12, otherwise, they will gather again in front of the parliament building and continue the protest.
70 ???????? media outlets appeal to the international community to respond to the purposive persecution of media representatives ⬇️ @KubiliusA @general_ben @mikercarpenter @GLandsbergis @ZygisPavilionis @RJukneviciene @BryzaMatthew @ikelly731 @RepDonBacon @SenatorRisch @IlvesToomas pic.twitter.com/yI6EGJblnt
— Egor Kuroptev (@ESK001) July 11, 2021
Over 70 Georgian media organisations say in a joint statement that the ‘cases of violations of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level’.
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.
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.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has named drug overdose as a possible reason for the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava earlier today.
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.
Police have detained one more individual who attacked TV Pirveli journalists in the office of the Shame Movement in Tbilisi on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march. The Ministry of Internal Affair reports that in total 20 people have been arrested for verbally and physically assaulting media representatives on July 5 of which five are detained for attacking the TV Pirveli crew.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to yesterday's rally of journalists, civil activists and politicians who gathered in front of the parliament building to pay tribute to TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and demand Garibashvili’s resignation. Garibashvili said that 'they tried to use this tragedy to achieve their own political goals'.
The Georgian ruling party has accused the opposition of ‘trading by tragedy’ following the death of the TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was found dead yesterday after being attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5. The head of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze said earlier today that the organisers of yesterday's rally, protesting the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, are the leaders of radical, anti-Christian groups, ‘who decided to score points on the death of the colleague.’
The US Department of State has called on Georgian leaders to publicly condemn recent violence against journalists and to protect their right to freedom of the press, following violent attacks at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5, where TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava was beaten up by right-wing protesters and later was found dead at home on July 11.