Liberainformazione Georgia, la solidarietà delle organizzazioni per la libertà di stampa a giornalisti e media

Sono almeno 81 gli attacchi, «mirati e in molti casi brutali», agli operatori dell’informazione registrati nel Paese da quando, il 28 novembre 2024, sono esplose le proteste contro la decisione di sospendere i negoziati per l’adesione alla Ue.

Una lettera aperta per esprimere solidarietà a cronisti e media in Georgia che, «di fronte a violenze, minacce, detenzioni, distruzione e sequestro di attrezzature, stanno entrando in quello che dovrebbe essere un periodo festivo con incertezza e paura per la loro sicurezza». A sottoscriverlo sono una cinquantina di organizzazioni di giornalisti e per la libertà di informazione di tutta Europa, fra cui Fnsi, Efj, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa.

I firmatari rivolgono anche un «appello per una forte reazione da parte dei funzionari e delle istituzioni europee per affrontare questa violenza» e ricordano che «le proteste contro la decisione di sospendere i negoziati per l’adesione alla Ue sono iniziate il 28 novembre 2024 e sono state seguite da attacchi mirati e in molti casi brutali contro i giornalisti».

Nel testo, pubblicato venerdì 20 dicembre 2024 anche sul sito web della Federazione europea dei giornalisti, vengono citati i casi dei giornalisti Aleksandre Keshelashvil di Publika.ge e Guram Rogava di Formula TV, aggraditi dalle forze dell’ordine mentre documentavano le proteste, e della reporter Maka Chikhladze e dell’operatore Giorgi Shetsiruli di TV Pireli, percossi e insultati da un gruppo di assalitori mascherati.

Un attacco «senza precedenti ai media in Georgia» che si verifica «in un contesto di rapido declino della libertà di stampa e di una più ampia erosione delle libertà democratiche», rilevano le organizzazioni  internazionali, che denunciano «misure legali e istituzionali utilizzate come arma per molestare e mettere a tacere le voci critiche» e «le campagne diffamatorie del governo per screditare il giornalismo indipendente continuate senza sosta».

Inoltre, «l’impunità per i crimini contro i giornalisti rimane diffusa, con le indagini spesso inadeguate e gli autori delle violenze che spesso restano impuniti, in particolare tra le forze di polizia». Senza considerare le pressioni politiche sulla tv pubblica georgiana.

I firmatari della lettera-appello ricordano infine «il coraggio e la resilienza dei media indipendenti della Georgia, che continuano a raccontare ciò che accade nonostante le terribili condizioni nel Paese. Siamo al fianco di tutti i giornalisti e operatori dei media georgiani – concludono – ed esprimiamo loro la nostra incrollabile solidarietà».

Sono almeno 81 gli attacchi a giornalisti e operatori dei media registrati alla data di pubblicazione della lettera aperta.

@fnsisocial

European solidarity with journalists in Georgia

The undersigned press freedom, freedom of expression, media, journalists and human rights organisations express solidarity towards journalists and media in Georgia.

Faced with violence, threats, detentions, equipment destruction and seizure, journalists in Georgia are entering what is supposed to be a festive period with uncertainty and fear for their safety. Solidarity and support is needed now more than ever.

The MFRR partners condemn continuous attacks and pressure on media workers and repeat the call for a strong reaction by EU officials and institutions to address this violence. The protests against the Georgian Dream’s decision to pause EU membership negotiations started on November 28, 2024, and were followed by targeted, and in many cases brutal attacks on journalists.

A journalist, Aleksandre Keshelashvil of Tbilisi-based independent media organization Publika.ge, recounted his attack on the very first day of the protests. Keshelashvili was recording protests when a masked group of police officers ran into them. Aleksandre tried to move to a safe place when a police officer grabbed him from behind, pulling him.

“I was shouting, ‘I’m a journalist!’… he recounted, as well as that he was wearing a press helmet and press vest. Nonetheless, the police confiscated his equipment, pushing him to the floor and beating him all over his head. They proceeded to drag him to the police cordon where they handcuffed him, placing him into the van. At the police station, he was informed that he was arrested but given no reason why. Eventually, he was taken to the doctor who found he had a broken nose and concussion.

This is just one of the examples of brutal attacks against the media. Since November 28, the MFRR platform registered that at least 80 journalists* have been subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, or interference as police forcefully terminated the protests. As local media organisations demonstrate, journalists who work for independent and government-critical media outlets are mainly affected by such attacks, with the majority being based in Tbilisi.

Guram Rogava of Formula TV was brutally assaulted by riot police, as shown in footage from Radio Tavisupleba and Formula TV, which documented the riot police officer striking him. He sustained serious injuries and was hospitalised. According to reports, Rogava has suffered facial bone fractures and a broken cervical vertebra as a result of the violence at the protest.

The attacks came also from what looks like vigilante groups. One of the incidents that went viral for its brutality involved a female journalist, Maka Chikhladze and camera operator Giorgi Shetsiruli from TV Pireli. A group of masked attackers dressed in black first used what appeared to be pepper spray before escalating the violence. Chikhladze was grabbed and thrown to the ground, with one assailant shouting insults. Camera operator Giorgi Shetsiruli was kicked in the head while trying to protect himself.

This unprecedented attack on the media in Georgia occurs in an environment of rapid decline in press freedom and a wider erosion of democratic freedoms. In recent months, the country’s media landscape has grown more hostile and perilous, with legal and institutional measures being weaponised to harass and silence critical voices. At the same time, government smear campaigns to discredit independent journalism have continued unabated.

The overwhelming signs of state capture in Georgia are extremely worrying, as the Georgian Dream exerts control over the state’s major institutions, including the judiciary. Consequently, impunity for crimes against journalists remains widespread, with investigations often being insufficient and perpetrators rarely held accountable, particularly those from the police.

Furthermore, in these times, it is crucial for public service media to make efforts to bring balance and provide impartial reporting. Concerns about the Georgian Dream’s political influence on the Georgian Public Broadcaster, are extremely worrying. The public broadcaster should play a crucial role in truly serving public interests and resisting political pressure.

We reiterate our call to the EU institutions, and call on other Georgian government strategic partners, individual states and all other international stakeholders to impose sanctions on the Georgian Dream, its leaders, and all other institutions and actors involved in committing these grave violations of human rights and erosion of democratic principles.

Finally, media freedom groups and MFRR partners draw strength from the bravery and resilience of Georgia’s independent media who continue to report despite the dire conditions in the country. Their work is now more crucial than ever, and their courage is an inspiration and a reminder of why media freedoms matter. We stand by the side of all Georgian journalists and media workers and express our unwavering solidarity.

(*) At the time of writing the statement MFRR registered attacks against 81 journalists. The number may change depending on the developments.

• European Centre for Press and Media Freedoms (ECPMF)
• International Press Institute (IPI)
• European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
• OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
• Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
• Association of European Journalists (AEJ)
• Civil Rights Defenders
• Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
• BH Journalists Association (BHJA, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Association of Journalists (GCD, Turkey)
• Association of Journalists of Albania (AJA, Albania)
• Hungarian Press Union (HPU, Hungary)
• Flemish Association of Journalists (VVJ, Belgium)
• Association des journalistes professionnels (AJP, Belgium)
• Romanian Trade Union of Journalists (MediaSind, Romania)
• Lithuanian Journalists Union (LZS, Lithuania)
• Society of Journalists (Poland)
• Estonian Association of Journalists (EAL, Estonia)
• Independent Trade Union of Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM, North Macedonia)
• Swedish Union of Journalists (SJ, Sweden)
• Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS, Serbia)
• Norwegian Union of Journalists (NJ, Norway)
• Slovene Association of Journalists (Slovenia)
• Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ, Belarus)
• Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ, Croatia)
• Danish Union of Journalists (DJ, Denmark)
• Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU, Russia)
• Italian National Press Federation (FNSI, Italy)
• Union of Journalists in Finland (SJ, Finland)
• Progressive Contemporary Journalists’ Association (PJA, ÇGD, Turkey)
• National Association of Hungarian Journalists (MÚOSZ, Hungary)
• Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS, Turkey)
• Icelandic Union of Journalists (Iceland)
• Croatian Journalists Association (CJA, Croatia)
• Syndicat National des Journalistes CGT (SNJ-CGT, France)
• Deutsche Journalistinnen und Journalisten Union (dju in ver.di, Germany)
• Articolo 21 (Italy)
• Flying Broom Women’s Communication and Research Association (Turkey)
• Velvele – Queer Media Collective (Turkey & Catalonia)
• Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA, Turkey)
• Voys Media (Turkey)
• Muzir.org (Turkey)
• Bursa Haber Ajansı (Turkey)
• Media and Migration Association (MMA, Turkey)
• Basın Kulübü Derneği (PCA, Turkey)
• Fayn (Turkey)
• Solfasol (Turkey)
• Free Press for Eastern Europe (FPEE, Czech Republic)
• Median Research Centre (MRC, Romania)
• The Fix (Ukraine)
• Açık Radyo (Turkey)
• EVN Report (Armenia)
• Hetq (Armenia)
• ActiveWatch (Romania)