President Saakashvili has imposed state of emergency on the entire territory of Georgia for 15 days, Economy Minister Giorgi Arveladze announced at 1 am local time this morning. Restrictions, he said, will be imposed on the dissemination of information, demonstrations and strikes. As a result, news programmes at all the private television stations will be shut down for 15 days. Publicly-funded Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) will be the only one allowed to provide news coverage. The presidential decree implies, Arveladze said, “ceasing of receiving and free dissemination of information in written or verbal forms.”
“This only refers to TV and radio stations,” Arveladze specified. “Receiving and disseminating of information will only be conducted by the Georgian Public Broadcaster.” Newspapers and online media sources will also be able to operate.
The parliament has to convene within the next 48 hours and approve the presidential decree, which is already in force. A few hours before this statement, Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said that emergency rules would only imply to the capital Tbilisi. But the actual presidential decree issued a couple of hours after Nogaideli’s statement envisages emergency rules on the entire territory of the country.
Before Nogaideli’s announcement, two pro-opposition TV channels, Imedi and Kavkasia, were put off the air. Other TV stations continued providing extensive coverage of the recent developments. After economy minister Giorgi Arveladze’s statement, however, Rustavi 2 TV’s news programme anchor announced: “We have to cease our programme now and hope to see you again after 15 days.” All the private TV companies, except for Imedi and Kavkasia, continue broadcasting but without news coverage.
Two opposition TV stations, Imedi and Kavkasia, have gone off the air, shortly after President Saakashvili accused Russia and “some” political parties in Georgia of staging unrests in Tbilisi. Both television stations were broadcasting extensive coverage of the opposition’s protest rallies.
Imedi TV was put off the air shortly after its anchor announced in the live broadcast that police “broke into the television.”
Imedi TV was put off the air shortly after its anchor announced in the live broadcast that police “broke into the television.”
“They are now trying to break into this studio,” Giorgi Targamadze, an anchor and chief of the Imedi TV’s political programmes said. “I want to say that Imedi has always been the only window through which entire Georgia could watch the truth.”
Simultaneously noise was heard from outside the studio; then lights went off and the camera was switched off. Imedi’s radio station was also off the air and its website was inaccessible.
Less than a couple of minutes later another opposition TV station, Kavkasia, also went off the air. Unlike Imedi TV, Kavkasia is a small station covering only the capital Tbilisi.
Simultaneously noise was heard from outside the studio; then lights went off and the camera was switched off. Imedi’s radio station was also off the air and its website was inaccessible.
Less than a couple of minutes later another opposition TV station, Kavkasia, also went off the air. Unlike Imedi TV, Kavkasia is a small station covering only the capital Tbilisi.
Imedi media holding, involving the television and radio station, is co-owned by the authorities’ rival tycoon, Badri Patarkatsishvili, and News Corporation. Patarkatsishvili has recently handed over management rights of his shares to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp for a one-year term after he announced that was planning to finance the opposition’s campaign.
A spontaneous rally by several dozen of people, living in the neighbourhood where Imedi TV’s office is located, gathered outside the television station chanting: “Imedi, Imedi.” Police officers in masks and assault rifles were seen sealing off the Imedi office. A scuffle occurred between the protesters and the police. TV stations’ footage showed policemen beating up a man. Riot police also used tear gas to disperse protesters outside Imedi TV’s office.
(Source: Civil Georgia/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
(Source: Civil Georgia/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)
