Former Georgian ombudsman sues pro-government TV channel over defamation
Former Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria said she has filed a lawsuit against the pro-government broadcaster Imedi. According to Lomjaria, the case concerns statements circulated by representatives of the television channel and the ruling Georgian Dream party, which alleged that she had called for the suspension of Georgia‘s visa-free regime with the European Union and for sanctions against Georgian citizens.
At a briefing devoted to the issue, Lomjaria said the campaign against her was defamatory and aimed at misleading the public.
“The lawsuit against Imedi concerns more than just the lies spread about me. This case is also about the authorities’ attempt to shift responsibility for the consequences of their own policies onto others,” she said.
Lomjaria said she had filed the lawsuit not only as a target of disinformation but also as a citizen of Georgia and the mother of two children.
She rejected allegations that she had ever supported delaying Georgia’s European integration, losing its EU candidate status or suspending the country’s visa-free regime with the European Union.
“There is not a single witness, fact or even an illegally obtained secret recording that would show I ever said or even thought anything against Georgia’s European future, its candidate status or the visa-free regime,” Lomjaria said.
In her view, the authorities are trying to prepare for the possible consequences of the country’s departure from its European path.
“In reality, those in power are no longer thinking about how to preserve the visa-free regime. They are thinking about whom to blame for losing it,” she said.
During the briefing, the former ombudsman also spoke about jailed opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria.
Lomjaria expressed support and solidarity with Khoshtaria and called for her release. She said Khoshtaria’s imprisonment was politically motivated and that her health condition required special attention.
“It is essential that Elene receive full and high-quality medical care without delay,” Lomjaria said.
She also criticised the way some media outlets have covered Khoshtaria’s health condition. According to Lomjaria, journalists used “dirty methods against a female prisoner whose health has been seriously affected” when reporting on the issue.
Background
The dispute between Nino Lomjaria and the Imedi television channel stems from an increasingly heated political debate in recent months over the possible suspension of Georgia’s visa-free regime with the European Union.
On Imedi and in statements by some representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Lomjaria and other government critics have been portrayed as figures lobbying against Georgia in Brussels and urging the European Union to reconsider visa-free travel for Georgian citizens.
Some officials and commentators have claimed that Lomjaria’s activities and communication with international partners harm the interests of Georgian citizens and could jeopardise visa-free travel.
Lomjaria, however, says she has never called for the suspension of the visa-free regime. She argues that the authorities are deliberately conflating criticism from the European Union with the separate issue of visa-free travel for Georgian citizens.
According to Lomjaria, discussions within the EU about possible restrictions stem from the actions of the Georgian government and concerns over democratic standards in the country, rather than demands from the opposition or civil society groups.
Ex-ombudsman sues TV channel
