Justice for Georgia’s journalists

June 7th, 2011

How should the Tblisi authorities respond to the police assaults on reporters covering anti-government protests at the end of May? Boyko Boev reports

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Georgia: 17 journalists brutally attacked by police

June 1st, 2011

A number of Georgian journalists claim they were attacked by a Special Forces police unit who broke up a protest on 26 May. Officers surrounded them and inflicted verbal and physical abuse while removing video equipment and making arrests. A number of journalists were detained for several hours. Beka Sivsivadze, from the independent newspaper, Asaval-Dasavali, claimed: “I told them that we were the journalists but they beat us harder when they heard it.”

Georgia: British teacher sues for libel

November 11th, 2010

A teacher from the UK is suing Georgian media for libel. Thomas Fletcher says journalists have spread false information about him by publishing his photos from Facebook under the headline “Sexual games of Thomas and his friends”. Fletcher is participating in a two-year program run by the Georgian ministry of education “Teach and Learn with Georgia” which started on March 1, teaching English in the country. Minister of education and science Dimitry Shashkin said he personally apologized to the insulted teacher.

Georgia: journalist sued for libel

October 26th, 2010

A local politician and and chairman of an agricultural commission is suing journalist Ilia Martkoplishvili for degrading his honor. Gela Tetrauli requests 10,000 GEL as a compensation for moral damage. Tetrauli claims the journalist erroneously blamed him for misuse of budget funds.” Martkopishvili claim the official’s accusations are unjustified.

PAST EVENT: Georgian Film Night, 14 May

May 14th, 2010

Friday, 14th May: EPIC Short Films presents… Georgian Film Night

English PEN, Index on Censorship are proud to present EPIC SHORT FILMS at the Free Word Centre, these events explore censorship and freedom of expression in independent filmmaking.

To launch the series, we are holding a Georgian Film Night, screening for the first time in UK, five short films made by professional and citizen journalists, telling intimate and personal stories about daily life, conflict and dreams in Georgia.

The films are produced by Eyewitness Studios, part of a new media initiative the Go Group Media, set up by Margharita Akhvlediani who aims to get real life stories into Georgian TV programming that is otherwise unrepresentative, swamped by propaganda and imported viewing.

Margarita Akhvlediani, director of Go Group will lead a Q&A session after the films.

For the second part of the evening Tabuni, a London based ensemble singing Georgian folk songs and chants, lead by Tamta Turmanidze, will perform a short programme of songs, accompanied by wine and kachapuri (traditional Georgian cheese bread).

Entrance is FREE though there will be a charge for wine and kachapuri.

For more information on this event and other future EPIC Short Film nights, please visit the official website.

To book your place at the forthcoming Georgian Film Night, please email bookings@freewordonline.com or call 020 7324 2570

Media casualties increase in Georgian conflict

August 13th, 2008

Dutch news cameraman Stan Storimans was killed by Russian bombing in the city of Gori, central Georgia on 12 August. Another Georgian journalist, and his driver, were killed by Russian shells in Gori’s main square in the same offensive, bringing the total number of journalists killed in the six-day conflict to four. Georgian journalists Grigol Chikhladze and Alexander Klimchuk were shot dead on Sunday by pro-independence fighters in Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. The Committee to Protect Journalists reports at least 9 journalists have been wounded since hostilities commenced. Read more here, here and here.

Journalists killed in South Ossetia

August 12th, 2008

Georgian journalists Grigol Chikhladze and Alexander Klimchuk were shot dead on Sunday by pro-independence fighters in South Ossetia. They had been traveling with Teimuraz Kikuradze and US journalist Winston Federley when they came across a road block in Tskhinvali, capital of the breakaway republic of South Ossetia. Ossetian forces opened fire when the journalists attempted to avoid the roadblock. Chikhladze and Klimchuk were killed outright, whilst Kikuradze and Federley were injured in the attack. Chikhladze had been head of Alinia TV and Kikuradze a correspondent for Itar-Tas. Read more here

Georgia: media under pressure after protests

November 9th, 2007

Journalists in Georgia have felt the heat during recent upheaval in the former soviet state. Here, Winston Bean tells of the conditions he and his colleagues have faced in recent days

Earlier this week, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili decreed a state of emergency after the violent dispersal of anti-government protests, ordering the shutdown of independent media outlets and deploying troops throughout the capital.

While the government’s crackdown succeeded in restoring order in a country still recovering from years of civil conflict, the ruling administration’s reputation for liberal reform has been irreparably damaged, as it enforces emergency rule and a news blackout at the same time a snap election campaign gets under way.

The anti-government rallies, organised by a tenuous coalition of 10 political opposition parties, began on 2 November with tens of thousands of Georgians calling for earlier parliamentary elections. They soon progressed to angry but peaceful demands for Saakashvili’s resignation.

The protests unravelled into bloody street battles across the capital’s centre on 7 November, as riot police moved in to break up the crowds with tear gas, rubber bullets and batons.

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