"The practice of wiretapping media representatives is aimed at intimidating them and hindering their activities" | Ombudsman

The Public Defender issued a statement regarding the secret audio recordings of the journalists of the Mtavari Channel, published by the government-controlled media. The Ombudsman writes that she will actively follow the investigation launched by the special investigative service into the possible surveillance of the employees of the Mtavari Channel.

On July 13, 2022, the media published an audio recording describing the planning process for the "Mtavari Channel" program "Post Factum" and containing information about the journalists' confidential source. This is not the first time the alleged illegal surveillance of media representatives has been reported.

The Public Defender considers reports of possible unauthorized monitoring and recording of critical media representatives troubling, which negatively affects the already deteriorating quality of media freedom in recent times. From this point of view, the dangerous and hostile environment created in the country toward media representatives and the unjustified control of the content of the broadcaster's programs are particularly noteworthy.

The practice of surveillance of media representatives prevents journalists from fully exercising their freedom of expression and is aimed at intimidating them and obstructing their activities. The above-mentioned harmful practices are particularly dangerous for investigative journalism, where the protection of source confidentiality takes on added significance. Breaking the secrecy of private communications with journalists can cause a potential whistleblower to refrain from cooperating with the media, which ultimately creates the danger of withholding matters of public interest from public scrutiny.

Thus, the Public Defender will actively follow the investigation launched by the Special Investigative Service into the possible surveillance of Channel One employees and calls on the Investigative Service to periodically and proactively inform the public of the progress of the investigation," the Public Defender writes.