Today, the fate of the country's European future, along with many other issues, depends on Nika Gvaramia's freedom

A movement for the release of Nika Gvaramia has been officially founded.

A symbolic statement was made by friends of the Director General of Mtavari Channel, members of the "What, Where, When" club in front Rustavi Prison No. 12. They believe that now, when the issue of granting the country EU candidate status is being decided, people should not be imprisoned for critical opinion, much less media managers:

Today as never before Georgia's European future is at stake, the future for which our ancestors fought, about which many dreamt, and for which our heroes in Ukraine are fighting today, on this important path to obtaining European Union candidate status it is clear that a free critical media plays a very important role. Of the EU's 12 requirements, one relates specifically to the freedom of the media. By detaining Nika Gvaramia, the founder and director general of a critical media outlet, on absurd charges, the authorities have put the country's European future and candidate status in question. It is clear that the imprisonment of Nika Gvaramia damages the interests of the state, is detrimental to the process of European integration and goes against the agenda of any political party. We believe that today the fate of the country's European future depends, among many other issues, on Nika Gvaramia's freedom. This is why Nika's friends from the 'What, Where, When' game and representatives of the media have decided to create a movement for the liberation of Nika Gvaramia, whose main objective will be the timely release of Nika Gvaramia from prison. It is very important that this issue is constantly on the agenda and our partners have constantly urged the authorities from the highest tribunes to refrain from politically motivated cases against the founders and media managers of free media. We believe that it is this kind of intense bilateral pressure that will force the authorities to implement the 12 EU recommendations, release the founder of Mtavari Channel and maintain the country's chance to become a democratic, developed, progressive country and, most importantly, a member of the European Union. Finally, and most importantly, it is essential that the voices of many people are heard in this process. Therefore, I appeal to each of you who care about what country you will live in, what country your children will live in the country, join this movement and those who believe that a person should not be imprisoned on absurd charges for expressing a critical opinion, it is definitely time for action on the part of all of you. Because the path to the European is the path to the future for all of us, for every citizen of this country," says the appeal read by Bachana Shengelia.