Public Defender Lomjaria says journalism endangered in Georgia
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria calls on the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respond promptly to each offence committed against journalists on or after 5-6 July and make public the results of identification and prosecution of perpetrators, including the organisers of actions of right-wing groups on July 5-6. Photo: ombudsman.ge.
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Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has responded to frequent attacks on journalists during the last weeks in Georgia, noting that instead of condemning such actions, political officials often show disrespectful attitude towards journalists.
Unfortunately, law enforcement agencies do not respond to all similar cases in a timely, strict or effective manner. Organizers of the violence committed against journalists on July 5-6 have not been identified and appropriate measures have not been taken to bring them to justice, which creates a syndrome of impunity”, reads an official statement of Lomjaria.
Mtavari Arkhi TV asked the Prosecutor’s Office on July 23 to launch an investigation into an incident that involved Tea Tsulukiani, the Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia, taking a microphone away from the channel’s reporter.
The video of the incident went viral on social media channels.
The Prosecutor’s Office has not launched an investigation into the incident until now.
Public Defender Responds to Frequent Attacks on Journalists https://t.co/Pzo3PsMj3F
— Ombudsman of Georgia (@Ombudsman_Geo) July 28, 2021
A total of 53 journalists were injured while covering the rally of right-wing activists against the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5.
Dozens of individuals have been detained for attacking representatives of various media outlets, though police have not detained the organisers of the right-wing activists.
In her official statement Nino Lomjaria emphasizes the vital role of a free, pluralistic and critical media environment for a democratic society, as well as its special function in terms of the protection of human rights and the rule of law in the country.
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria calls of the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respond promptly to each offence committed against journalists or on after 5-6 July and make public the results of identification and prosecution of perpetrators, including the organisers of actions of right-wing groups on July 5-6.
Lomjaria also calls on Political officials not to allow obstruction of journalistic activities and violence against journalists, not to discredit them regardless of their critical views, and to publicly condemn similar cases committed against them.
Read the full statement here.
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.
State officials, current and former diplomats and media rights organisations have been reacting to the developments in Tbilisi on Monday, where a right-wing demonstration against a planned Tbilisi Pride march for queer rights attacked reporters gathered to cover the eventually cancelled event before also storming offices of Pride organisers.
A Palitranews cameraman who was attacked by right wing activists earlier today has undergone an operation at New Hospitals and is being taken to the med ward at this time. Head of the New Hospitals emergency service Mikheil Beriashvili said that the patient had a head injury and a broken nose.
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.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has released the 2021 Human Rights Report lamenting “threatening and hostile” environment for reporters and media outlets, and criticising legislative changes in the judiciary of the country.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the state legislature, on Thursday slammed the country’s Ombudsperson Nino Lomjaria for “backing the radical opposition”, adding GD had not yet selected its candidate for the position after Lomjaria’s term in office expires in the coming autumn.