Press Scanner
Compiled by Keti Baramidze
Friday, March 19
Opposition rally in South Ossetia will be raided
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that according to the so-called South Ossetia Press and Information Committee the South Ossetian law enforcement agencies will take drastic action against any efforts by external forces to strain the situation in the republic. This is a reference to the South Ossetian opposition’s plans to hold a rally on March 20 in the centre of Tskhinvali.
The so-called Tskhinvali Council has not given the organisers permission to hold a demonstration. It has declared that the request to hold the rally was presented in a form which violated Ossetian legislation, as its organisers did not give their real names.
Those standing behind Imedi must certainly be punished - journalist
Kvela Siakhle writes that the whole of Georgia was shocked by the Imedi hoax news report. Even Editor-in-Chief of Rezonansi Lasha Tugushi has stated that the broadcast surprised him greatly.
"I couldn’t conceal my indignation and astonishment when I saw that telecast. The public aren't a group of rats you conduct experiments on and such experiments must stop immediately! Imedi has violated all rules and regulations by taking such unreasonable steps.
"In this broadcast half our country (including the opposition and Georgian troops) were declared traitors. All this has a very negative influence on Georgia and the Georgian people’s reputation. The crime the broadcaster has committed must be investigated! In my opinion an investigation will reveal traces of Government involvement in this broadcast. Journalists should not be the only ones punished, the Government should also take some responsibility. The Government is making every effort to blame journalists only. They may also try to punish them," Tugushi said.
Asked if he could name the people responsible for the broadcast, Tugushi said: "Certainly, they are people to whom such ideas occur very often. You probably remember the film about the 2007 November events with the title “From November to November” which was extremely bad. This film created speculation and nonsensical conversations about the necessity of taking rational steps to ensure our country’s safety and had a wholly negative affect on the public. Personally I think very influential people stood behind this broadcast. Of course, they are members of the Government, the head of which is Saakashvili.
"Society mustn’t lose this chance if it can be called a chance. Unfortunately, nowadays the Georgian media is under great pressure and is made to behave incorrectly. Certainly, this was a collective project in which the main parts were acted by politicians. We, the public, should react to this properly and protect ourselves. We should help the media and liberate it from the Government," Tugushi said.
"We possess different means of achieving this aim, from elections to direct action. It should be mentioned that if so many citizens had not protested so sharply outside Imedi all this would have been hushed up easily. It seems the Government isn’t aware that no one can be protected from the people’s anger.
"It should be mentioned that this broadcast will be used against us by the Russians. It has been declared solemnly, and not only once, that the Georgian Government is doing everything in its power to incite its people against Russia. I’m also absolutely sure that the Russians will state that we Georgians started the war two years ago," Tugushi concluded. .
Sakartvelos Respublika writes that according to the so-called South Ossetia Press and Information Committee the South Ossetian law enforcement agencies will take drastic action against any efforts by external forces to strain the situation in the republic. This is a reference to the South Ossetian opposition’s plans to hold a rally on March 20 in the centre of Tskhinvali.
The so-called Tskhinvali Council has not given the organisers permission to hold a demonstration. It has declared that the request to hold the rally was presented in a form which violated Ossetian legislation, as its organisers did not give their real names.
Those standing behind Imedi must certainly be punished - journalist
Kvela Siakhle writes that the whole of Georgia was shocked by the Imedi hoax news report. Even Editor-in-Chief of Rezonansi Lasha Tugushi has stated that the broadcast surprised him greatly.
"I couldn’t conceal my indignation and astonishment when I saw that telecast. The public aren't a group of rats you conduct experiments on and such experiments must stop immediately! Imedi has violated all rules and regulations by taking such unreasonable steps.
"In this broadcast half our country (including the opposition and Georgian troops) were declared traitors. All this has a very negative influence on Georgia and the Georgian people’s reputation. The crime the broadcaster has committed must be investigated! In my opinion an investigation will reveal traces of Government involvement in this broadcast. Journalists should not be the only ones punished, the Government should also take some responsibility. The Government is making every effort to blame journalists only. They may also try to punish them," Tugushi said.
Asked if he could name the people responsible for the broadcast, Tugushi said: "Certainly, they are people to whom such ideas occur very often. You probably remember the film about the 2007 November events with the title “From November to November” which was extremely bad. This film created speculation and nonsensical conversations about the necessity of taking rational steps to ensure our country’s safety and had a wholly negative affect on the public. Personally I think very influential people stood behind this broadcast. Of course, they are members of the Government, the head of which is Saakashvili.
"Society mustn’t lose this chance if it can be called a chance. Unfortunately, nowadays the Georgian media is under great pressure and is made to behave incorrectly. Certainly, this was a collective project in which the main parts were acted by politicians. We, the public, should react to this properly and protect ourselves. We should help the media and liberate it from the Government," Tugushi said.
"We possess different means of achieving this aim, from elections to direct action. It should be mentioned that if so many citizens had not protested so sharply outside Imedi all this would have been hushed up easily. It seems the Government isn’t aware that no one can be protected from the people’s anger.
"It should be mentioned that this broadcast will be used against us by the Russians. It has been declared solemnly, and not only once, that the Georgian Government is doing everything in its power to incite its people against Russia. I’m also absolutely sure that the Russians will state that we Georgians started the war two years ago," Tugushi concluded. .