Two accused of attacking TV Pirveli and Rustavi 2 cameramen at Tbilisi Pride counter rally denied bail
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. Photo: video grab.
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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.
Police detained Irakli Tsignadze on July 20 for attacking TV Pirveli cameraman Levan Bregvadze, while Ushangi Datunashvili was detained on July 21 for verbally and physically insulting Rustavi 2 cameramen on Rustaveli Avenue during the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that a total of 27 individuals have been detained for unlawful interference with journalists’ professional activities, while one has been detained for attacking another individual on July 5 in Tbilisi.
Fifty-three journalists of various media outlets were injured while covering the rally of right-wing activists against the Tbilisi Pride march.
A total of 46 individuals attacked during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally have been granted victim status, of which 40 are journalists of various media outlets.
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.
Four defendants who attacked journalists at the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally on July 5 have been denied release on bail. Three defendants were sent to pre-trial detention for a violent attack on the journalists and cameramen of Tabula, New post agency, TV channels Rustavi 2 and Mtavari Arkhi and the fourth one for the physical assault of the cameramen of Palitranews.
Police are investigating an attack on the offices of Tbilisi Pride and the Shame movement by right-wing groups protesting the Tbilisi Pride march earlier today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has announced. Civil movement Shame reported that no one was injured in the attack on their office.
Right wing activists who had gathered on Rustaveli Avenue this morning to protest the Tbilisi Pride march scheduled for 6 p.m. later today attacked journalists and cameramen on the spot, injuring dozens of media representatives. Among the injured media representatives there are eight from Rustavi 2, two journalists from TV Pirveli, and employees of On.ge, Tabula, Netgazeti, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and other media outlets.
Journalists have held a protest in Georgian parliament earlier today demanding the punishment of individuals who attacked journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5 and the resignation of Prime Minister Garibashvili. Journalists held up a banner ‘punish offenders’ and photos of deceased TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was brutally beaten up by right-wing protesters at the counter rally.