Journalists gather in front of parliament again, calling for PM’s resignation following TV Pirveli cameraman’s death
The journalists plan to gather in front of the parliament building tomorrow at 12 p.m. when the Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri is scheduled to address the MPs over the developments of July 5-6. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Journalists, civil activists and politicians have again gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation, following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava.
Lashkarava, who was one of the 53 media representatives attacked by the right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally, passed away on July 11. His colleagues claim that the entire responsibility of the July 5-6 developments lies on the PM, who - they say - has given 'a green light' to the right-wing groups to act violently.
TV Pirveli anchor Inga Grigolia says the life of journalists has become dangerous in Georgia.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Georgian people do not want Russia, but Europe. We want freedom, we want the European path”, another anchor of TV Prveli, Eka Mishveladze addressed the audience.
Formula TV anchor Vakho Sanaia also stated that the ruling Georgian Dream party ‘has killed every institution’ in Georgia, but the media will not surrender.
We have promised you that we will fight not only from our studios, but we will fight with you also from the streets”, Sanaia said.
He further noted that this is 'an uncompromised fight for freedom'.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
The journalists plan to gather in front of the parliament building tomorrow at 12 p.m. when the Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri is scheduled to address the MPs over the developments of July 5-6.
During the protest rally today three media outlets - TV Pirveli, Mtavari Arkhi TV and Formula TV - said in a joint program that the interior ministry story about the possible reason for Lashkarava's death has been deliberately faked to mislead the people.
Meanwhile, the Coalition for Media Advocacy has expressed its concern that journalists of the above three media outlets were not invited to cover PM Garibashvili’s activities earlier today.
Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Moreover, the coalition said that the director of Mtavari Arkhi TV Nika Gvaramia has received death threats from right-wing groups after Facebook blocked violent Alt-Info group, one of the alleged organisers of the anti-Tbilisi Pride rally in Tbilisi.
Violations of the rights of media have reached a critical level in recent times. There was a mass attack on the media on July 5-6, 2021. A total of 53 representatives of more than ten media organisations have been injured. TV Pirveli cameraman Alexandre (Lekso) Lashkarava has succumbed to injuries”, the coalition says.
Its members, including the Charter of Journalistic Ethics, the Young Lawyers Association and Transparency International Georgia, claim that ‘illegal restriction on coverage of a public event’ with the PM’s participation ‘violates both the media's right to carry out its professional duties and the public's access to information about an event of public interest’.
With the background when media representatives are being the victims of numerous acts of violence and threats, the Prime Minister's discriminatory decision of today reinforces the polarisation in the country, encourages further violence, coercion, intimidation, hostility or discrimination against journalists and cameramen”, the joint statement reads.
Its signatories call on PM Garibashvii ‘to stop discrediting the media’. They also call on Interior Minister Gomelauri to investigate threats against Mtavari Arkhi TV director Gvaramia.