Georgian interior minister on opposition demands: I will resign if ruling party decides so
People protesting the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lashkarava and demanding the resignation of PM Garibashvili and Interior MinIster Gomelauri on July 17 in front of the parliament building. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The ruling Georgian Dream party will decide who is responsible for the violent events of July 5, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri said on TV channel Rustavi 2 yesterday, responding to recent demands for his resignation from the opposition, journalists and NGOs.
Gomelauri noted that it is the ruling party’s responsibility to punish all who committed violence against journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally.
If the team (ruling party) decides that I should resign, of course, I will obey that decision,” said Gomelauri.
He condemned the violence against media on that day and said that free media and free journalists are the achievements of an independent Georgia, stating that the violence which took place at the counter rally was unprecedented.
I have been working in law enforcement for more than 27 years, I do not remember anything like that, not even at the rallies of the 90s,” Gomelauri noted.
Interior Minister Gomelauri expressed his condolences for deceased TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was violently attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5 and found dead at home later on July 11.
He noted the Ministry of Internal Affairs ‘was forced’ to publish footage of Lashkarava from the day before his death, which showed his route with a friend to Ponichala - a suburb of Tbilisi - and hinted that the possible reason for death could be a drug overdose.
I had no desire for the footage to be published and for his (Lekso Lashkarava) mother and family to see it. It was very hard for me and I am very sorry that we had to do so,” said Gomelauri.
Gomelauri underlined the Ministry did not stated the drug overdose as the reason of Lashkarava's death. He said police was sharing how the investigation was going on because of the high public interest to this case. " We also detained the drug-dealer, who sold the drug to Lashkarava, now only him but also 27 the other drug- dealers starting from June 2 till present," stated Gomelauri.
Minister Gomelauri also said that all offenders should be punished with full severity ‘so that no one would dare to do such a thing in the future,’ Gomelauri stated.
Gomelauri said that the ‘investigation begins with the executors and then it goes higher’ to the organisers.
He also touched upon the topic of his disrupted hearing by opposition politicians in the parliament on July 18 regarding the violent events of the Tbilisi Pride counter rally and called it a ‘circus.’
If parliament summons me, within its rules, I am obliged to go and give answers,” said Gomelauri.
Opposition parties, representatives of media and NGOs have been demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Garibashvili and Interior Minister Gomelauri since the death of Lekso Lashkarava.
Prime Minister Garibashvili has called journalists ‘party activists’ earlier today in response to inquiries into whether he would take responsibility for the attacks on journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5 and leave the post following demands for his resignation from the opposition, NGOs and media representatives. PM Garibashvili responded to journalists’ questions earlier today saying: ‘...unfortunately, TV stations have been transformed into departments of party organisations.’
Police have detained a 34-year-old man for the violent attack on a Public Broadcaster cameraman at the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally on July 5. The investigation established that the detainee verbally and physically assaulted the cameraman while performing his professional duties on Rustaveli Avenue.
Police have detained one more individual for attacking a Rustavi 2 TV cameraman on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5 during the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that the detainee, identified only as U.D., (born in 1955) verbally and physically insulted Rustavi 2 cameraman.
Police have detained one individual for the purchase, possession and sale of drugs in the Ponichala district of capital city of Tbilisi, 'the same individual who sold heroin to TV Pirveli cameramen Lekso Lashkarava' on July 10, a few days later after he was beaten severely at the July 5 Tbilisi pride counter rally.
Journalists have gathered in Batumi holding banners ‘media under attack’ as the plane of European Council President Charles Michel has landed in the Black Sea town.
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.
Mtavari Arkhi TV has asked the Prosecutor's Office to launch an investigation into an incident that involved Thea Tsulukiani, the Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia, taking a microphone away from the channel's reporter on Thursday, with a video of the incident going viral on local social media channels.
Police have detained yet another individual for the violent attack on TV PIrveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally. Lashkarava, 36, who was attacked in the office of the Shame Movement by over 30 right-wing activists on June 5, was found dead at his home several days later.
A sixth individual detained for attacking now-deceased TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava at the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally on July 5 has been denied release on bail. The prosecution demanded the use of the most severe measure of restraint against Gia Giguashvili due to the nature of the crime.
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.