Opposition Rallies ‘to Protect Imedi’

Up to 1,000 people gathered outside the Imedi TV premises in a Tbilisi suburb on March 26 at an opposition-organized rally against, what the opposition calls, the authorities’ attempts to seize the television station.

“Devils have attacked the last bastion of free speech, the last bastion of the Georgian people’s TV company Imedi,” Giorgi Khaindrava, an individual member of the eight-party opposition coalition, told the protesters. “I have no doubts that we will defend our country, we will defend Imedi TV, and we will defend our dignity and freedom of speech.  Thank you, Badri [Patarkatsishvili], for bequeathing this station to us. We promise that it will be returned to the people.”

In his address to the rally, Levan Gachechiladze, the leader of the eight-party opposition coalition, again attacked Rustavi 2 and Mze television stations, saying their coverage was biased in favor of the authorities.

“There are no journalists in Rustavi 2 and Mze, like there are no judges in the courts and no prosecutors in [the General] Prosecutor’s Offices,” he said. “Just as [Interior Minister Vano] Merabishvili is in Saakashvili’s pocket, all these journalists [in Rustavi 2 and Mze TV stations] are in Saakashvili’s pocket. What does journalism mean – you should tell the truth to the people, while they [journalists from Rustavi 2 and Mze TV stations] only tell lies. I’m seriously thinking of calling on the entire Georgia to boycott these frequencies [on which Rustavi 2 and Mze TV stations are transmitted]. Until the situation is settled in these TV companies, I will not give [pre-recorded] interviews to them. I will agree only to live interviews.”

MP Pikria Chikhradze of the New Rights Party, referring to an incident on March 25 in which an unidentified man tried to attack a Rustavi 2 journalist, told the protesters that “we may be angry with journalists, but we should not be aggressive. On the contrary, we should prove that we want free journalism, we want free speech and that is exactly why we are standing here today.”

MP Davit Zurabishvili from the Republican Party told the rally: “What is happening around Imedi is nothing but a violation of freedom of speech… Imedi should be returned to the people… All Georgians, regardless of party affiliation, will stand together [to protect Imedi]. Be afraid of Imedi. It will return to the people, by any means.”
 
Bidzina Baratashvili, the executive director of Imedi TV, said on March 26 he expected the television station to resume partial broadcasts in early April and full political coverage by April 10.

Baratashvili was speaking with journalists after meeting with Joseph Kay, a step cousin of late tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, who claims to be the new owner of Imedi TV and radio stations. His claims, however, are disputed by Patarkatsishvili’s widow, Inna Gudavadze, who claims that Kay, alias Kakalashvili, is just a frontman for the authorities, who are using him to gain control of the station.

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