Public TV Claims Pressure on its Reporters from ‘Certain Groups’

The Georgian Public Broadcaster said in a statement on March 26 that “certain groups” were resorting “to immoral methods” to mount pressure on its journalists.

Giga Maqarashvili, a reporter for the public TV, has claimed that an unknown man approached him on March 15, who introduced himself as “a representative of the opposition and one of organizers of the April 9” protest rally. “He offered me to quit the [public TV’s] First Channel with compromising materials, which he did not specify, and then to appear on the Maestro TV’s program hosted by Ucnobi with those compromising materials,” Maqarashvili said and added that he was threatened with physical assault on his pregnant wife if he declined the offer.

The Interior Ministry said it was investigating the case.

Pressure on journalists, the Georgian Public Broadcaster said in the statement, intensified as the planned April 9 protest rally is approaching.

“The public broadcaster wants to reiterate once again that it will not turn into a propaganda weapon of any political party,” it said.

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