The Messenger #153 (1420) - State evicts scores of businesses amid allegations of a media crackdown

Monday, August 13, 2007, #153 (1420)

State evicts scores of businesses amid allegations of a media crackdown

By Eter Tsotniashvili

Scores of businesses are told
it's time to go

The Ministry of Economic Development evicted scores of businesses from Kostava Street 14 on August 10, as the government moved to sell off the state-owned building. Many of the resident businesses, which included newspapers and television stations, claimed they received no prior notice.

That morning, patrol police cordoned off the building and told employees to clear the premises. Outraged employees gathered to protest what they called a "barbaric act," congregating in the street where they were soon joined by opposition politicians.

"This is happening without any warning or preparation. When we came here in the morning as usual, the building was already blocked. Expensive computer equipment is being taken out by bread lorries," said Dito Chubinidze, a journalist from the newspaper Asaval-Dasavali, speaking with Rustavi 2.

Many of the businesses were simply squatters, countered the head of the Economic Development Ministry's Privatization Department, Ilia Gotsiridze.

"This building is in the process of privatisation. Everyone here has been informed about the eviction. Some of them are here illegally, without any contract with the government or even paying utilities; some had contracts which have expired," he stated. According to Gotsiridze, several companies were allowed to remain in the building because of their lease contracts, and will negotiate on their own with the future owners.

One of the evicted companies is the small television station Kavkasia. The company, which broadcasts to the Tbilisi area, is widely perceived as airing programs with an anti-government bent.

"We weren't allowed to enter the building to take out our equipment," said the chief of the station's news bureau, Nino Jangirashvili.

Representatives from the opposition Labor Party, People's Party and the political movement Freedom joined the protests, accusing the Georgian government of pressuring domestic media.

"This is an attack against freedom of speech, and I appeal to Georgians to protest this violence," declared Koba Davitashvili, leader of the People's Party.

Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili also claimed the government was seeking to suppress media critical of its policies.

"This is a declaration of war on independent TV companies, newspapers and magazines. It has one goal: to frighten the journalists into not stating the facts, turning them into media that only praise Saakashvili," Natelashvili said.

The Russian-owned television and radio company Mir Georgia is also out of an office. Company director Badri Nachkebia told the Messenger that his station expects to be off-air for the next month or two. His company had a lease agreement with the government, Nachkebia says, but was told it wouldn't be renewed after it ran out a month ago.