Confirmed: Georgian President dismissed her Spokesperson due to FB Post
By Tea Mariamidze
Wednesday, September 11
Georgian President’s Administration has confirmed rumors that the Spokesperson of the President Salome Zourabichvili, Khatia Moistsrapishvili had been dismissed because of her Facebook post, supporting her friend journalists dismissed from Rustavi 2 TV.
As the updated statement of the Administration reads, on September 4, 2019, Khatia Moistsrapishvili was verbally warned about the suspension of the authority of the President's Spokesperson, and on September 10, a notice of termination of the agreement was sent to her.
"Her statement made in the social network contradicts the press officer's professional duties and standards. The position of spokesperson strongly demands that every statement made in the public space should only express the positions of the President and the Administration. Accordingly, the President's spokesperson was required to refrain from publicly expressing personal sentiments,” the President's Administration said.
According to them, Khatia Moistsrapishvili received an official offer from the President's Administration to continue working in the Press Service.
However, as the former Spokesperson told media, she will not continue working at the Administration.
Moistsrapishvili also said that she quit herself and was not dismissed. She added that the statement made in support of her journalist friends was a correct step from her side.
“I have always felt responsibility due to my position. I also feel the moral responsibility for my fellow journalists, for whom disclosure of public information is a primary professional responsibility. It is because of these responsibilities I believe that my comment was necessary,” she wrote to Netgazeti.
She also called on the other employees of the Administration not to spread false information about her stay in a different position.
Last week Rustavi 2 former journalist Nodar Meladze published a post on his social media claiming that Moistsrapishvili was fired because she showed solidarity with the journalists fired from Rustavi 2.
Another prominent Georgian journalist, Inga Grigolia also commented about the issue. She said the same, that ex-speaker was dismissed for her solidarity to the journalists.
“I was surprised to see how Khatia was able to express her [President’s] meaningless statements,” writes Inga Grigolia.
Moistsrapishvili was appointed as the Spokesperson of the President on December 31, 2018. She has a rich experience in working for several main media outlets and TV stations like Georgia’s Public Broadcaster, Imedi TV and Mze. She also worked as the Head of Public Relations Office for several companies.
