Human Rights Watch Report: Media still not free in Georgia

JAMnews

Tbilisi

Human Rights Watch report on Georgia

The Human Rights Watch report on Georgia for 2022 has been published, and its picture of media freedom in Georgia is unfavorable, manifested in such things as attacks on journalists and the arrest of Nika Gvaramia, director of the main opposition channel Mtavari Arkhi.

The organization is concerned about inadequate investigation of crimes committed by law enforcement officials, illegal surveillance, unfair working conditions, and violence against members of the LGBTQ community. HRW also emphasizes that most of the twelve conditions set by the EU for Georgia to become an EU candidate are related to the protection of human rights.

Freedom of media

Human Rights Watch experts believe that attacks on journalists and interference in their activities increased in 2022. They also refer to the arrest of Nika Gvaramia, director of the Mtavari Arkhi TV channel, and note that Georgian society and NGOs have criticized this decision, calling it illegal and politically motivated.

The report includes specific facts on harassment of journalists:

● In March, Mtavari Arkhi correspondent Emma Gogokhia and a cameraman were attacked by several people while filming Zugdidi City Hall officials removing a Ukrainian flag painted on the wall of a political party’s office. The Special Investigation Service launched an investigation.

● In June, TV Pirveli operator Murman Zoidze was attacked in Batumi. In connection with the incident, the Special Investigation Service arrested two people.

● In July, the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation into an incident in which a member of parliament allegedly physically assaulted Vakhtang Tsereteli, founder of TV Pirveli.

● In May, three journalists fired from the Georgian Public Broadcaster accused the channel’s management of “gross meddling” in censorship and editorial policy, especially when producing stories critical of Russia. A few days later, another former journalist from the same production company made the same allegation.

According to Human Rights Watch, police officer impunity is also a problem in the country.

The report also refers to the abolition of the state inspector’s office. According to the authorities, the government made this decision after the state inspector launched an investigation into the possible mistreatment of imprisoned ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.

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The report deals not only with the mistreatment of Saakashvili, but also with cases of abuse by law enforcement agencies against civil activists. This includes Giorgi Tsavanadze, leader of the Sirtskhvilia (Shameful) movement.

Human Rights Watch draws attention to the widespread dissemination of information about cases of covert surveillance by state bodies and the deterioration of legislation on this issue.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and women’s rights

The organization believes that the Georgian authorities did not identify and punish the organizers of the mass violence on July 5, 2021.

The report also highlights that LGBT people in Georgia continue to face harassment, discrimination and violence.

Regarding women’s rights, the organization relies on data from the prosecutor’s office and writes that from January to September 2022, thirteen women were killed in Georgia.

“According to the Center for Human Rights, a local human rights organization, courts often set bail for perpetrators who continue to intimidate abused women,” Human Rights Watch said in its report.