Violation of Journalists’ Rights at ‘Critical Point,’ CSO Coalition Says

“Violation of journalists’ rights in Georgia has reached a critical point,” said a coalition of local CSOs, arguing the Government has “failed” to guarantee the safety of news professionals during the homophobic violence of July 5-6 in Tbilisi.

The attacks on a total of 53 journalists “went largely unpunished,” the Media Advocacy Coalition noted, as so far police have detained only 12 persons on charges of interference in journalistic activities.

“In light of the unprecedented scale of violence against media,” the 16 signatories called on the authorities to investigate the incidents “efficiently,” and “discontinue practicing hate speech against media and openly support the freedom of journalists to carry out professional duties.”

The Coalition also called on the Parliament to hold a hearing to evaluate measures taken by the Government for protecting citizens during July 5-6 demonstrations.

See the full statement, and the list of signatories here.

Also Read:

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• 102 Detained as Far-Right Rallies Again
• Homophobic Pogroms: 3 Arrested over Attacks on Journalists
• President Visits Injured Journalists in Hospital
• Far-Right Groups Massively Attack Journalists

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)