The News in Brief
Wednesday, March 16
Cold weather to continue until the end of the week
Storms of a 3-5 magnitude are expected along the Black Sea coast today. As reported by the head of the Hydro Meteorological Prognosis Agency, Svetlana Nioradze, severe westerly winds will blow against the entirety of Georgia. It will hit 10-15 meters per second in western Georgia and sometimes 28 meters in eastern Georgia.
The average temperature will be teetering between 7-12 degrees in the country.
On March 16-17, temperatures will further decrease in Georgia. Snow is expected in Georgia’s mountainous regions. It will continue in most western Georgian and some eastern Georgian regions.
A frost is also expected at night on March 16-18. (IPN)
Defying Sex Tape Blackmail Attempt, Journalist Says: ‘I am Not Afraid’
Journalist Inga Grigolia who has been threatened with releasing of secretly recorded video of her private life, said that blackmail will not silence her.
The threat came in a form of a newly released sex tape of unidentified individuals, posted anonymously on YouTube with the text on the video threatening three politicians, one of them an opposition figure as well as Griglia herself, and demands that they quit their professional activities before March 31. The new video and the threat came few days after a separate sex tape, purportedly showing an opposition politician, was anonymously posted on YouTube on March 11.
Speaking during a news programme which she hosts on TV Pirveli, long-time journalist Inga Grigolia said: “A video was released today in which, among others, I am also threatened with releasing video tapes depicting my private life if I don’t leave the country.
“Of course I am not naming any of the politicians who were also threatened in this video, but I am naming myself – yes, I, Ingra Grigolia, am being threatened,” she said.
“I am Ingra Grigolia – woman, daughter, mother and friend, I have a wonderful boyfriend and I have sex,” she said.
“I promise you, who are threatening me with making public my private life and demand from me to leave the country, I will sacrifice myself to defend my rights and the rights of others and I will do everything to send those who have filmed these videos and who have [released] them, to jail for many years,” she said, condemning such a blackmail as a “terror attack.” (Civil.ge)
NGOs demand tougher measures to stop surveillance videos
NGOs in Georgia demand the creation of an investigative tool to combat the spreading of videos depicting people’s intimate lives and they want international experts to be involved in the effort.
The initiative comes from organizations which are part of a campaign called ‘This Affects You Too’, which standards against secret surveillance and wiretapping and is composed of the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, the Open Society Georgia Foundation, ISFED and other groups.
On Monday, the NGOs met with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and the heads of law enforcement bodies and laid their case out at a press conference.
They demand to know what steps the government is taking to curtail private surveillance and prevent the release of incriminating videos.
“This is not just publishing videos of private lives. It is blackmail. This is blackmailing the entirety of society and it is an attack on democracy and threatens the transparency of the election period,” Ana Natsvlishvili, the head of the GYLA, said at the press conference.
She said that over the last few days, people have witnessed the publishing of several videos depicting the sex lives of people, which means that those who are spreading the videos are not afraid of being held responsible.
Keti Khutsishvili, the Executive Director of OSGF, said that publishing those videos is an attack on the government and pro-Western opposition forces and it is an attempt to create chaos in society, which is primarily in the interest of Moscow country and pro-Russian forces.
The organizers of the press conference said that the This Affects You Too campaign will remain active as the things that have happened the last few days are a sign that swift and reasonable steps need to be urgently taken.
The NGOs announced that on March 19 they will hold a rally against the spreading of videos depicting the personal lives of people. (DF watch)
Storms of a 3-5 magnitude are expected along the Black Sea coast today. As reported by the head of the Hydro Meteorological Prognosis Agency, Svetlana Nioradze, severe westerly winds will blow against the entirety of Georgia. It will hit 10-15 meters per second in western Georgia and sometimes 28 meters in eastern Georgia.
The average temperature will be teetering between 7-12 degrees in the country.
On March 16-17, temperatures will further decrease in Georgia. Snow is expected in Georgia’s mountainous regions. It will continue in most western Georgian and some eastern Georgian regions.
A frost is also expected at night on March 16-18. (IPN)
Defying Sex Tape Blackmail Attempt, Journalist Says: ‘I am Not Afraid’
Journalist Inga Grigolia who has been threatened with releasing of secretly recorded video of her private life, said that blackmail will not silence her.
The threat came in a form of a newly released sex tape of unidentified individuals, posted anonymously on YouTube with the text on the video threatening three politicians, one of them an opposition figure as well as Griglia herself, and demands that they quit their professional activities before March 31. The new video and the threat came few days after a separate sex tape, purportedly showing an opposition politician, was anonymously posted on YouTube on March 11.
Speaking during a news programme which she hosts on TV Pirveli, long-time journalist Inga Grigolia said: “A video was released today in which, among others, I am also threatened with releasing video tapes depicting my private life if I don’t leave the country.
“Of course I am not naming any of the politicians who were also threatened in this video, but I am naming myself – yes, I, Ingra Grigolia, am being threatened,” she said.
“I am Ingra Grigolia – woman, daughter, mother and friend, I have a wonderful boyfriend and I have sex,” she said.
“I promise you, who are threatening me with making public my private life and demand from me to leave the country, I will sacrifice myself to defend my rights and the rights of others and I will do everything to send those who have filmed these videos and who have [released] them, to jail for many years,” she said, condemning such a blackmail as a “terror attack.” (Civil.ge)
NGOs demand tougher measures to stop surveillance videos
NGOs in Georgia demand the creation of an investigative tool to combat the spreading of videos depicting people’s intimate lives and they want international experts to be involved in the effort.
The initiative comes from organizations which are part of a campaign called ‘This Affects You Too’, which standards against secret surveillance and wiretapping and is composed of the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, the Open Society Georgia Foundation, ISFED and other groups.
On Monday, the NGOs met with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and the heads of law enforcement bodies and laid their case out at a press conference.
They demand to know what steps the government is taking to curtail private surveillance and prevent the release of incriminating videos.
“This is not just publishing videos of private lives. It is blackmail. This is blackmailing the entirety of society and it is an attack on democracy and threatens the transparency of the election period,” Ana Natsvlishvili, the head of the GYLA, said at the press conference.
She said that over the last few days, people have witnessed the publishing of several videos depicting the sex lives of people, which means that those who are spreading the videos are not afraid of being held responsible.
Keti Khutsishvili, the Executive Director of OSGF, said that publishing those videos is an attack on the government and pro-Western opposition forces and it is an attempt to create chaos in society, which is primarily in the interest of Moscow country and pro-Russian forces.
The organizers of the press conference said that the This Affects You Too campaign will remain active as the things that have happened the last few days are a sign that swift and reasonable steps need to be urgently taken.
The NGOs announced that on March 19 they will hold a rally against the spreading of videos depicting the personal lives of people. (DF watch)