(Mari Nikuradze / OC Media)
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has charged Avtandil Tsereteli, whose son owns independent TV channel Pirveli, with participating in the group money laundering of almost $17 million. [Read more…]
Afgan Mukhtarli, Seymur Hazi, and Sevinj Osmangizi
Catherine Pilishvili is a senior associate with the Europe and Central Asia programme at Human Rights Watch.
Azerbaijan is celebrating its National Press Day today. But when it comes to press freedoms, there’s not much to celebrate, argues Catherine Pilishvili from Human Rights Watch.
The arrest of Meduza journalist Ivan Golunov mirrors the treatment of government critics in the North Caucasus. The persecution of journalists and government critics in Russia must end — including those under pressure in the North Caucasus. [Read more…]
Nika Gvaramia (/Rustavi 2)
The director of opposition-leaning TV channel Rustavi 2 has accused the Georgian government of attacking the channel’s editorial policy after one of the company’s shareholders launched a ₾28 million ($10 million) legal dispute against him and other shareholders. [Read more…]
Natia Kapanadze (Facebook)
NGOs and opposition parties have said they fear media freedom might be at risk after two members of Adjara TV’s Board of Advisors requested that the channel’s director, Natia Kapanadze, be impeached. [Read more…]
(report.az)
The Azerbaijani State Fund to Support Development of the Mass Media has raised the eligibility requirements for newspapers to receive support, effectively cutting off support for most newspapers. [Read more…]
Tbilisi City Court (Dato Parulava / OC Media)
Several Georgian media advocacy groups have warned that a proposed defamation law put forward by the president could put freedom of speech in the country at risk. The groups pointed out that there are already legal mechanisms in place against defamation, and that any new restrictions would ‘endanger Georgia’s democratic development’. [Read more…]
‘Hands off Iberia TV’, employees of the Iberia TV organised a protest at the government office on 10 September. (Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)
A secret audio recording released on Friday suggests that former Georgian sports minister Levan Kipiani attempted to extort expensive cars for other ministers from Omega Group, a business group that owns local TV channel Iberia TV. The authenticity of the recording has not yet been verified, but this is the second secret audio recording released in recent weeks suggesting the government is applying pressure on Omega Group. [Read more…]
Tamar Mearakishvili (/OC Media)
A South Ossetian court has ruled that the local prosecutor’s office committed procedural violations when dismissing a complaint by journalist Tamara Mearakishvili. Mearakishvili told OC Media she had complained regarding the ‘inaction of the general prosecutor’s office’ while investigating her for slander. [Read more…]
(OC Media)
Leaders from the ruling Georgian Dream party have criticised American rights watchdog Freedom House, for suggesting democracy declined in the country in 2017. ‘Absurd, unobjective and amusing’ were some of the words PM Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Parliament chairman Irakli Kobakhidze used to describe their 2018 Nations in Transit report, which said informal governance was ‘one of the key features of GD’s rule’. [Read more…]
