Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, attacked the online publication Mountain Stories [Mtis Ambebi] once again today. He doesn’t like that the publication has been covering the tragedy that occurred in Shovi from the very first minutes of the natural disaster. Government representatives and leaders of the ruling political party Georgian Dream are not happy about this.
News
Trending stories
- 1 Marauding Kadyrovites Among Masked Raiders in Tbilisi - Editor's Column
- 2 Presidential Candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili Lacks Higher Education
- 3 Fischer: Heidelberg Cement Exits Georgian Market, One of Germany's Largest Investments
- 4 Online Journalists Banned from Parliament Indefinitely
- 5 Putin Expresses Surprise at Georgian Authorities' Courage
- 6 12 Found Dead in Bedroom of Indian Restaurant in Gudauri
It is our duty to keep the public informed, especially in times of crisis. This is all we are focused on right now, and the government’s goal is to distract us, divert our attention, and create confusion in society. We are not going to be dragged into political debates with the government.
The government no longer allows us to enter the disaster zone and it has limited the release of public information from state agencies. In fact, we cannot gain access to a number of crucial documents. Despite the artificial barriers, we continue to investigate the causes of the natural disaster, reveal facts containing signs of crime, and provide public access to unbiased information.
In recent days, Georgian Dream has been running an aggressive campaign against Mountain Stories which threatens the physical inviolability and professional activities of our journalists. Unsubstantiated and irresponsible statements made by the Speaker of the Parliament, the leader of the parliamentary majority, and other public figures are encouraging dangerous forms of violence. We call on the relevant government authorities to ensure that the safety of journalists of Mountain Stories is guaranteed.
