Cases of violation of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level. Dozens of cases against the media are still uninvestigated. Dozens of cases against the media are not still investigated. The authorities fail to ensure the safety of journalists, while the statements by the officials of the ruling party encourage the violence even more.

On July 5, 2021, during a demonstration against the "March of Dignity", members of a violent group deliberately attacked the media representatives, subjected them to physical and verbal abuse, and deliberately destroyed their equipment to obstruct their journalistic activities.

Despite the preliminary calls from the civil sector, the state has not taken appropriate measures to protect the media representatives. Insufficient police forces did not take measures to protect the journalists. Moreover, on July 5, before the start of the government session, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, laid the responsibility not upon the members of the demonstration but the organizers of the "March of Dignity" for the possible complication of the situation and called them not to hold the march on Rustaveli Avenue.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on July 5, 53 members of the media were injured, including the operator of TV Pirveli - Aleksandre Lashkarava, who was severely beaten by violent groups on July 5. Aleksandre Lashkarava died on July 11.

Part of the media representatives still remains in the hospital. Members of various violent groups continue to openly threaten journalists and cameramen, to which the law enforcement agencies do not respond accordingly. The organizers of the violent demonstration of July 5, whose identities are not known, have not been arrested either.

It should be noted that most of the facts of the attacks on journalists, obstruction of media activities, and violence that happened in the past have not been investigated so far and the issue of responsibility of the organizers of the violent groups has not been outlined.

We appeal to the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Georgia to respond immediately and effectively to the purposive persecution of media representatives on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5, the facts of damage to health, obstruction of professional duties, and inaction of the Georgian government.

Signatories:

1.     Mtavari TV

2.     TV Formula

3.     Rustavi 2

4.     Tabula

5.     Imedi TV

6.     Kavkasia TV

7.     The Charter of Journalistic Ethics

8.     Adjara Public Broadcaster and Radio

9.     Georgian Public Broadcaster

10.  TV Pirveli

11.  Express News

12.  FaxInterNews

13.  Artarea TV

14.  Studio Monitor

15.  Georgian Times Radio

16.  Fact Check

17.  Radio Green Wave

18.  AT.ge

19.  Media Development Foundation

20.  Border Zone

21.  NNLE Media and Communication Educational and Research Center

22.  Radio Voice of Abkhazia

23.  Radio Dardimandi

24.  Alternative Professional Union of Adjara Public Broadcaster

25.  Media Holding Hereti: Radio Hereti FM102.8, Radio Tbilisi FM93.5

26.  Radio Citrus FM97.3

27.  Radio Dzveli Kalaki

28.  Georgian Regional Radio Network

29.  TV Company New

30.  OC Media

31.  TOK TV

32.  Radio Holding Fortuna

33.  SOVA

34.  Batumelebi

35.  Newsreport

36.  On.ge

37.  Netgazeti

38.  InterPressNews.ge

39.  Blog SocReactive

40.  TSpress.ge

41.  Radio Atinati

42.  Metronome.ge

43.  Publika

44.  Civil.ge

45.  Internews-Georgia

46.  Media.ge

47.  Openrustavi.ge

48.  Palitranews

49.  Radio Palitra

50.  Radio Marneuli

51.  Euronews Georgia

52.  FirstNews.ge

53.  Kutaisi Today

54.  Speqtri.ge

55.  Cnews

56.  Media Holding "Qronika +"

57.  Droa.ge

58.  Accentnews.ge

59.  Popmusic.ge

60.  Popsport.com

61.  Gurianews.ge

62.  Eco-Fact

63.  Media rights

64.  Journalism Resource Center

65.  Agrogaremo TV

66.  Alliance of Regional Broadcasters

67.  Radio Imedi

68.  Commersant

69.  JAMNews

70.  Reginfo.ge

71.  DailyInfo.ge

72.  News Agency Front News

73.  Front News International Kiev Office

74.  ifact.ge

75.  ipress.ge

76.  TV 25

77.  Guria TV

78.  Metskhre talgha

79.  okribanews

80.  newpost

81.  pia.ge

82.  digest.ge

83.  funtime.ge

84.  tbiliselebi.ge

85.  exclusivetv.ge

86.  GHN

87.  geodigest.ge

88.  Europetime.eu

89.  Odishi TV

90.  Guria Moambe

91.  Dianews

92.  report.ge

93.  AliQ Media

94.  Ambebi.ge

95.  Info Rustavi

96.  Mega TV

97.  DiaNews

98.  Radio Mosaic

99.  TV Dia

100. NewPress.ge

101. Timerge

102. Radio WW

103. Chemi Kharagauli

104. QvemoQartli.ge

105. Sknews.ge

106. Livepress

Photo Credit - Mediachecker.ge