I do not rule out that Nika Gvaramia's endless trials will end with his arrest - Media experts respond to Gharibashvili' s threatenings

"Moving towards a totalitarian regime," media experts assess threatening of the Prime Minister candidate Irakli Gharibashvili from the parliamentary tribune.

Gharibashvili today called the General Director of the Mtavari Channel Nika Gvaramia a lowlife and a criminal.

According to Zviad Koridze, manager of Transparency International's regional office in Georgia, Gharibashvili's statement should be perceived by the public as pressure on the media.

"When a candidate for prime minister tells the head of one of the most critical channels today that he is worthless, a criminal, etc.this should not be perceived in the public eye as criticism of the media, but as pressure and influence on the media, which  will even greater increase the risks of democratic processes, and very soon we will see a movement toward a totalitarian regime," said Zviad Koridze.

Journalist Ninia Kakabadze says that Gharibashvili may as well  arrest Nika Gvaramia and thus silence the voice of critical media.

"I don't rule out that these endless trials of Nika Gvaramia will end with his arrest and this will be an opportunity to neutralize the Mtavari  Channel,  one of the highest rated channels. Irakli Garibashvili will go for anything," said Ninia Kakabadze.