The media issued a joint statement

The media has issued a joint statement regarding the death of Lekso Lashkarava, which will be sent to the diplomatic corps.

We offer the statement unchanged:

"Cases of violations of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level. Dozens of cases against the media are still uninvestigated. The government does not ensure the safety of journalists, and statements by representatives of the ruling party exacerbate violence.

On July 5, 2021, in a conspiracy against the "Pride March", members of a violent group deliberately attacked media representatives, subjected them to physical and verbal abuse, and deliberately destroyed equipment to interfere with their journalistic activities.

Despite preliminary calls from the civil sector, the state has not taken appropriate measures to protect media representatives. Insufficient police forces did not take measures to protect journalists. Moreover, on July 5, before the start of the government session, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, blamed not the members of the contract but the organizers of the "Pride march" for the possible complication of the situation and called on them not to march on Rustaveli Avenue.

On July 5, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 53 members of the media were injured, including Alexander Lashkarava, a cameraman for Pirveli TV, who was severely beaten by violent groups on July 5. Alexander Lashkarava died on July 11.

Part of the media representatives still remain in the hospital. Members of various violent groups continue to openly threaten journalists and cameramen, to which law enforcement agencies have not responded accordingly. The organizers of the July 5 violent contract, whose identities are not known, have not been arrested either.

It should be noted that most of the facts of attacks on journalists, obstruction of media activities and violence in the past have not been investigated so far and the issue of responsibility of the organizers of the violent groups has not been clarified.

We plead to the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Georgia to respond immediately and effectively to the targeted persecution of media representatives on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5, the facts of damage to health, obstruction of professional duties and the inaction of the Georgian authorities."

Signatories of the announcement

Mtavari channel
Formula
Rustavi 2
Tabula
hope
Caucasus
Public Broadcaster
Charter of Journalistic Ethics
Georgian First Channel Public Broadcaster
Adjara TV and Radio of the Public Broadcaster
TV First
TV 25
Express News
Faxinternews
Artarea TV
Studio Monitor
Radio Georgian Times
Fact-meter
Radio Green Wave
AT.ge
Media Development Foundation
Border Zone
A (A) IP Media and Communication Education and Research Center
Voice of Radio Abkhazia
Radio Dardimandi
Alternative Professional Union of Adjara TV and Radio of the Public Broadcaster
O9 Media Holding Hereti: Radio Hereti FM102.8, Radio Tbilisi FM93.5, Radio Citrus FM97.3
Radio Old Town
Georgian Regional Radio Network
TV New
OC Media
Eco-fact
Radio Holding Fortuna
SOVA
Batumelebi
Newsreport
On.ge
Netgazeti
InterPressNews.ge
Social Reactive Blog
TSpress.ge
Radio Atinati
Metronome.ge
Public
Civil.ge
Internews-Georgia
Media.ge
openrustavi.ge
Palitranius; Radio Palette
Radio Marneuli
Euronews Georgia
FirstNews.ge
Kutaisi Today
Speqtri.ge
CNews
Media Holding "Kronika +"
Droa.ge
accentnews.ge
Popmusic.ge
Popsport.com
Media rights
Gurianews.ge
Tok TV
Journalism Resource Center
Agro Environment TV
Alliance of Regional Broadcasters
Radio Green Wave
Radio Hope
JAMNews
Commersant
Reginfo.ge