On 16 October 2015, Tabula director Tamar Chergoleishvili, Tabula chief producer Lexo Machavariani and student Salome Khvadagiani were detained on Rustaveli Avenue. The reason for the detention was putting up posters for the campaign against Gazprom on the construction fence and lighting pole. 

The posters depicted cartoons of former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili and Gazprom. Notably, there were other posters on the same construction fence too. 

The police officers drew up a legal violation report on the basis of Part 1, Article 150 of the violations code. According to this article, “making various types of inscriptions, drawings or symbols on building facades, shop windows, fences, columns, trees without authorization, also putting up placards, slogans, banners at places not allocated for this purpose” is a violation causing damage to property of a self-governing entity.

Later the detainees were released. Tbilisi City Court acknowledged the detainees as violators.

According to the Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili, detention of these individuals for putting up cartoons unjustifiably limited freedom of expression. 

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The police officers drew up a legal violation report on the basis of Part 1, Article 150 of the violations code. According to this article, “making various types of inscriptions, drawings or symbols on building facades, shop windows, fences, columns, trees without authorization, also putting up placards, slogans, banners at places not allocated for this purpose” is a violation causing damage to property of a self-governing entity.

Later the detainees were released. Tbilisi City Court acknowledged the detainees as violators.

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On 30 September 2015 the car of Kobuleti Bureau of Adjaran TV was hijacked. Journalist Nino Inaishvili testified to the police on this incident, after which, according to her, the head of Kobuleti police Zakaria Gurchiani met her in the police office yard and asked her to change her testimony. According to Batumelebi newspaper, the probable hijacker is a relative of Rati Megrelidze, Deputy Gamgebeli of Kobuleti.  

Journalist Nino Inaishvili issued the recording showing Zakaria Gurchiani’s attempt to coerce her into changing her testimony. Coercion of a witness into changing the testimony involves elements of crime covered by Article 372 of the Georgian Criminal Code.

According to the MIA, the prosecutors are investigating the case of the head of Kobuleti police Zakaria Gurchiani.

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According to the MIA, the prosecutors are investigating the case of the head of Kobuleti police Zakaria Gurchiani.

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According to Maestro TV reporter Irakli Vachiberadze, he was bullied by the head of Guria Regional Main Division of MIA Koba Tsertsvadze because of his question to Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

The journalist asked the question about the arrest of the National Movement members, David Mzhavanadze and Ilia Malazonia, and a member of organization Free Zone, Beso Katamadze, during Garibashvili’s visit to Ozurgeti on 15 September 2015. These individuals hang a poster saying “Liar Government” on one of the town’s apartment blocks. As soon as they did this, they were arrested. They were charged on the basis of Article 150, Part 2 of the Administrative Offences Code, which concerns making various types of inscriptions, drawings or symbols on building facades, shop windows, fences, columns, trees without authorization, also putting up placards, slogans, banners at places not allocated for this purpose.

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs made a statement regarding this incident, expressing the readiness of the ministry’s general inspection to start investigation into the journalist’s statement and in the case a legal violation is established, to react to it appropriately. 

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The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association made the statements regarding the fact.

The statement of Georgian Young Lawyers' Association - http://bit.ly/1XxvhXE

The statement of  Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics -  http://bit.ly/1KWOKK7 (Available in Georgian)

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On 8 September 2015, the anchor of the Public Broadcaster’s political talk show First Studio, Eka Mishveladze, said during Rustavi 2 TV program Archevani, that she and her spouse – one of the leaders of the opposition party Free Democrats Aleksi Petriashvili – were under surveillance.

"The special services knew about my marriage with Aleksi Petriashvili well before the Public Broadcaster [Director General’s] advisor learned about it”, – said Eka Mishveladze on Rustavi 2 talk show Archevani.

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On 9 September the “This concerns you – they still listen to us” campaign called on the law enforcement agencies to launch investigation on the basis of Eka Mishveladze’s statement.

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On 4 September, during the discussion  about challenges for the TV media, organized by the Media Advocacy Coalition, Basa Janikashvili, advisor to the Director General of Public Broadcaster, announced that the anchor of the First Studio program Eka Mishveladze had a conflict of interest because of her marriage to politician Aleksi Petriashvili. The journalist herself learned about the closure of her program during this public meeting.

Eka Mishveladze’s conract with Public Broadcaster did not include prohibition of the conflict of interest. According to Article 22.2 of the Code of Conduct of Public Broadcaster, employee is obliged to declare conflict of interest. Specifically, “if an employee has grounds to believe that there is or may develop a conflict of interest, he or her is obliged to inform the Broadcaster’s management about this. The Broadcaster and its employees must take every appropriate measure to avoid conflict of interest. Depending on the specific situation, an employee may have to refrain from covering certain issues or work on different tasks." This Article does not envision closure of the program in the case of possible conflict of interest. Instead, it provides for overcoming conflict of interest in agreement with management, by refraining from covering certain issues or by working on other tasks.

After harsh critique from the civil sector came the news that the journalist received an offer from the channel’s management and would anchor a new analytical program from January 2016. After waiting for six months Eka Mishveladze received an official letter from the management informing her about the termination of her contract. Eka Mishveladze is going to appeal the decision in the court.

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According to Adjara Public Broadcaster, on 1 September 2015 there was an incident between the news crew and employees of Adjaran Ministry of Agriculture.

According to the editors, reporter Lasha Veliadze was verbally insulted in the yard of Keda Municipality winery while he was arranging an interview with the chief specialist of Information-Consultation Department of Adjaran Ministry of Agriculture Karlo Kekelidze. They were approached by an employee of Adjaran Ministry of Agriculture Mirza Suknishvili who insulted the journalist. During the incident the journalist was also physically attacked. Deputy Ministers of Agriculture of Adjara Rostom Shervashidze and Avtandil Meskhidze were present during the incident.

Mirza Suknishvili claimed that journalist was drunk. This was denied by the Broadcaster’s news service head Shorena Ghlonti who said that after the incident the journalist and cameraman were checked for alcohol in the Expertise Bureau and none of them tested positive. The TV channel requested investigation of the incident. The Chairman of the Government of Adjara ordered to suspend powers of Deputy Minister of Agriculture Avtandil Meskhidze until the report of the disciplinary commission had been drawn up.

According to the MIA, the investigation into Lasha Veliadze case was terminated as no elements of crime were found.

According to Transparency International Georgia, „This is not the first case when representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Adjara behave with the journalists inappropriately and in contradiction with the law. In December 2013 TV 25 journalist Sulkhan Meskhidze accused Deputy Minister Avtandil Meskhidze of making threats against him. TV reports on this issue did not result in any response either from the ministry or from any law enforcement agency.”

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According to the MIA, since there were no signs of a crime, investigation of Lasha Veliadze case was stopped, and Deputy Minister restored on his post.

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According to Transparency International Georgia, „This is not the first case when representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture of Adjara behave with the journalists inappropriately and in contradiction with the law. In December 2013 TV 25 journalist Sulkhan Meskhidze accused Deputy Minister Avtandil Meskhidze of making threats against him. TV reports on this issue did not result in any response either from the ministry or from any law enforcement agency.”

Transparency International Georgia​'s statement - http://bit.ly/1mHgOL9

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