Statement of Mtavari Channel

Zaza Okuashvili, co-founder of the Mtavari Channel, is systematically following a path characteristic of the Russian regime, gradually shutting down the channel, which has been the country's most influential critical media outlet for five years.

Mtavari Channel has already been switched off for all users who received our signal in the regions of Georgia or abroad via satellite. The reason is simple: the director appointed by Zaza Okuashvili, Gogi Kurdadze, refuses to transfer payments to service providers, despite the funds having accumulated in the sales house account for months. Moreover, Okuashvili’s director blocks the use of these funds for the benefit of the channel and instead sends letters with unfounded accusations and threats to our partner companies.

For the same reason, Mtavari Channel will be further restricted from the beginning of February, as our signal will also be switched off for a large part of cable TV channels.
As a result of Zaza Okuashvili's actions, no advertising has been aired for a month, and the channel has lost all its sponsors since the contract with the sales house has expired, and the director, Gogi Kurdadze, following Okuashvili's instructions, refuses to renew it.

The provision of rating data to Mtavari Channel has also been stopped, and in most cases, journalists are no longer able to broadcast live from the epicenter of events as the service to the broadcasting equipment has also been cut off due to non-payment.
The actions of Zaza Okuashvili and his controlled director Goga Kurdadze constitute an attempt to deliberately damage the company and shut down critical media which, on the whole ultimately serves the goals of the Georgian Dream, and clearly contains the signs of a criminal offence.