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The News in Brief

Monday, July 19
Prepared by the Messenger Staff

Zurabishvili: Human rights violations are unjustified, especially in the parliament

Salome Zurabishvili responds to the events in the parliament today and says that such cases have a damaging effect on the country's image.

According to the President, human rights violations, especially in the legislature, are unjustified.

Salome Zurabishvili also responds to the ruling team's boycott of the critical channels and says that the media should be allowed to work freely.

Today, the Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri was scheduled to hear at the special sitting of the Parliament. However, the deputies of the opposition parties stopped Gomelauri from giving a speech. They stood in front of the tribune and unfurled banners with photos of the deceased cameraman, Lekso Lashkarava.



According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, drug dealer who “sold Heroin to Lashkarava” is arrested

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they arrested a drug dealer who sold heroin to TV first cameraman Lekso Lashkarava on July 10.

The agency says he was arrested on July 17.

“The accused was selling drugs illegally, and on July 10, 2021, in Ponichala, he sold Heroin to TV 1 operator Alexander Lashkarava and his accomplices,” the statement reads.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs links Lashkarava's death to a drug overdose and does not say anything about the fact that he was severely beaten by violent groups a few days before his death. On July 12, the agency said that “according to the interim conclusion of the examination, the cause of death of Lashkarava was drug overdose.”



Journalists meet Hartzel in Batumi with a silent rally: ‘Media is an object of attack’

Journalists met EU Ambassador Carl Hartzel at a silent rally at Batumi Airport.

Journalists carried banners with the captions: ‘LekSOStvis’, ‘Media is the object of attack’.

Media representatives say that they will let everyone know of the conditions under which journalists work in Georgia and will fight until those responsible are punished.