a-6524 (ACC-GEO-6524)
Nach einer Recherche in unserer Länderdokumentation und im Internet können wir Ihnen zu oben genannter Fragestellung Materialien zur Verfügung stellen, die unter anderem folgende Informationen enthalten:
Informationen zur Fernsehstation Kawakasiya/Kavkasia o. ä.; Gewalt gegen diese Fernsehstation bzw. deren Mitarbeiter (auch 2003)
In einem Artikel des Civil Georgia Online Magazine wird im Dezember 2007 Kavkasia TV als eine kleine, pro‑oppositionelle Fernsehstation beschrieben, die nur Tbilisi abdecke. Vom 7. November 2007 bis kurz nach der Aufhebung des Ausnahmezustands am 16. November sei der Sender vorübergehend eingestellt worden:
„Kavkasia TV is a small pro-opposition television station, which covers only the capital city. Its daily program, hosted by station chief Davit Akubardia, features mostly opposition politicians. Labor Party members are in fact regular participants.
Kavkasia TV was put off the air by the authorities along with Imedi TV on November 7. It, however, resumed broadcasting shortly after the state of emergency was lifted on November 16.” (Civil Georgia Online Magazine, 8. Dezember 2007)
Der Jahresbericht des US Department of State (USDOS), erschienen im März 2008, erwähnt die gewaltsame Auflösung der Proteste gegen die Regierung im November 2007 und die darauf folgende Unterbrechung aller Medien mit Ausnahme des öffentlichen Fernsehens. Drei Fernsehstationen, Imedi, Kavkasiya und Channel 25, seien vorübergehend eingestellt worden, und in der Station Imedi hätten Sondereinheiten des Innenministeriums eine Razzia durchgeführt:
“On November 7, after using excessive force to disband opposition protesters, the government instituted a State of Emergency which, according to the constitution, suspended all broadcast press activities, except those of Public Television. As a result, operations were suspended completely at three television stations during this period (Imedi, Kavkasiya, and Channel 25) and Imedi was raided by Special Forces from the Ministry of the Interior. According to Imedi management, no official order authorizing the police raid was presented and police held the staff at gunpoint. Media sources and HRW reported that police violently dispersed departing staff and its supporters outside with teargas, rubber bullets, and truncheons. In the late evening, the prime minister read a statement declaring that a State Emergency was in effect and only public television would be allowed to broadcast, as permitted by the Constitution. Print media was not affected by the state of emergency. The ban was lifted on November 18, and all broadcast media except for Imedi television resumed their news broadcasts.“ (USDOS, 11. März 2008, Sek. 2a)
Auch Human Rights Watch (HRW) erwähnt die Einstellung des Fernsehsenders Kavkasia, gemeinsam mit dem Sender Imedi, während des Ausnahmezustands im November 2007:
„On the evening of November 7 riot police raided the private Imedi television station, held the staff at gunpoint, destroyed archives, and smashed equipment. Both Imedi and another private station, Kavkasia, were taken off the air. The government then declared a state of emergency that lasted nine days, limiting freedom of assembly and banning all broadcast news programs except by the state-funded Georgian Public Broadcasting. The government lifted the state of emergency on November 16, but suspended Imedi’s broadcasting license for three months.” (HRW, Jänner 2008)
Im Jahr 2004 erscheint ein Bericht des Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (HRIDC) über Georgien nach der Rosenrevolution, in dem unter anderem die Unterdrückung des TV-Senders Kavkasia thematisiert wird. Die georgische Regierung fordere die Zahlung von Schulden für die Nutzung eines Fernsehturms, sowie einer Strafe, was aber laut Kavkasia-Chefin ungerechtfertigt sei, da die Zahlungen schon erfolgt seien. Kavkasia fasse diese Forderung als Unterdrückung durch die Regierung auf, die den Sender nicht unter ihre Kontrolle bringen könne. Das sei auch der Grund, warum es manche Unternehmer nicht wagen würden, auf Kavkasia Werbung zu machen, und es habe schon mehrere Versuche gegeben, den Sender unter Druck zu setzen. Nach der Rosenrevolution sei Kavkasia eine Zeit lang abgedreht worden, und in einigen Fällen seien Journalisten des Senders nicht zu offiziellen Briefings des Präsidenten zugelassen worden:
“Freedom of Speech at Death’s Door: Kavkasia TV under Pressure
Another television company may join the list of closed newspapers and magazines, stopped popular programs and sealed television stations. The government that “was brought to power by roses” “pricks another thorn” into another victim – the independent television company Kavkasia. The Executives of the Tbilisi Office for the Executive Department of the Justice Ministry submitted a warning to the Kavkasia television company stating that if the organization does not pay 12,000 GEL within five days, it will be closed. Nino Djangirashvili, Director of Kavkasia, states that it is at the command of the government. According to Stephane Tumanishvili, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Department of the Justice Ministry, the company must pay the debt to Sakteleradio corporation (Television and Radio Corporation of Georgia) for the use of a TV tower. As the director of Kavkasia told the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, the court imposed a 23,000 GEL fine and Kavkasia must pay the money on a monthly basis for a year, as in agreements between the debtor and the creditor. The decision of the Justice Ministry was based on the fact that Kavkasia did not pay the money in April. Nino Djangirashvili considers the accusation to be absurd and declares that she showed the investigators the invoices proving that the money has really been paid. “Despite the fact that we showed the investigators all the invoices, he said that the decision had already been made and he could not change it,” the director of Kavkasia said.
This gesture is perceived within the company as unwarranted government pressure, because the government has been unable to exert control over the station. The representatives of the company think that this is exactly the reason why some businessmen do not dare bring their advertisements to Kavkasia. This has not been the first incident at Kavkasia, there have been repeated attempts of exercising pressure on the station before. We would like to remind the reader that after the “Rose Revolution” in Georgia, the transmission station of Kavkasia was turned off for a certain period of time. Furthermore, there have been several cases when journalists of the company were not admitted to official briefings of the President of Georgia. (S. 27 f.)” (HRIDC, 2004)
Auf der Website Eurasianet erscheint im Dezember 2003 ein Beitrag über die Regierung nach der Rosenrevolution, in dem erwähnt wird, dass der TV-Sender Kavkasia am 27. November 2003 nach Äußerung von Kritik an der provisorischen Regierung plötzlich eingestellt worden sei:
„In addition to the explosion at Labor’s headquarters, several controversies have helped fuel suspicion about the provisional government. For example, interim leaders faced criticism over some of their early political appointments. In a few cases, close friends and relatives of top leaders were installed in key government posts. Another controversy involved the Kavkasia television channel, whose broadcasts were abruptly suspended November 27 after it aired criticism leveled against the provisional government.” (Eurasianet, 2. Dezember 2003)
Imedi TV berichtet Ende November 2003 von einer Explosion im Zentralbüro der Arbeiterpartei. Dieser Anschlag reihe sich in eine Kette von Ereignissen während der Machtübergabe von Schewardnadse auf seine Nachfolger ein. Zu Beginn habe sich der „Terror“ gegen Journalisten und Fernsehsender wie Channel one, Kavkasia und Mze gerichtet, dann gegen die Universität und immer wieder gegen die Arbeiterpartei:
„Shalva Natelashvili, chairman of the Labour Party, addressing journalists, intercepted in progress. A terrorist assault was carried out through an explosion against the central office of the Labour Party At 0430 hours 0030 gmt . The explosion was so powerful that it damaged not only the party's central office but also the fourth and fifth floors of neighbouring buildings. This is a logical continuation of the chain of actions that has been occurring throughout the process of the transfer of power by Shevardnadze to his heirs. First, the terror began against journalists and television stations, including Channel one of Georgian TV , the Kavkasia television company closed down on 24 November, Iberia television company and Mze television company. Then they remembered our spiritual cradle, the Tbilisi state university and needless to say, they never forgot and do not forget their main opponent, their main rival and their main political gravedigger, the Labour Party. This is the second terrorist assault on the central office of the Labour Party. The first one, as you know, was carried out back in the summer, on 4 August and it caused serious injuries to the staff of the office. Some of them became permanently disabled. Telephone calls and warnings against the Labour Party had not stopped since then. One of the warnings materialized early this morning.” (Imedi TV, 29. November 2003)
In der World Press Freedom Review zu Georgien 2003 des International Press Institute (IPI) wird ebenfalls erwähnt, dass Kavkasia Ende November eingestellt worden sei, und dass dies von den Betreibern des Senders als Reaktion auf ihre kritische Einstellung gegenüber der Regierung aufgefasst werde. Zu Beginn der Rosenrevolution sei Kavkasia zwei Mal unterbrochen worden:
“Kavkasia TV was taken off the air on 27 November, but the Georgian authorities were not able to give a reason for the action. The station believes that this is in response to their critical attitude of the present authorities. Kavkasia TV was taken off air twice in the early days of the "revolution of roses." On 22 November, the government controlled TV channel experienced a news blackout, and an opposition station claimed that the authorities were trying to take it down.” (IPI, 2003)
Zur Situation des TV-Senders Kavkasia siehe auch folgende Artikel:
Verfolgung von Journalisten
Die Schweizerische Flüchtlingshilfe (SFH) widmet in einem Georgien-Bericht vom Oktober 2008 ein Kapitel der Presse- und Versammlungsfreiheit:
„4.2 Pressefreiheit und Versammlungsfreiheit
Vor allem politische Sendegefässe haben Schwierigkeiten, bei der Georgischen Nationalen Kommunikationskommission eine Sendelizenz zu bekommen. Seit dem August-Krieg ist die Pressefreiheit eingeschränkt. Sowohl in Russland als auch in Georgien waren die Presseberichte über den Krieg in Südossetien nur selektiv möglich. Die Organisation «Reporter ohne Grenzen» berichten, dass der Zugang zu Informationen in Georgien sehr limitiert sei. Seit dem 8. August 2008 sind russische Kabelfernsehsender und Internetdomains mit der Endung «.ru» gesperrt. Der einzige Oppositionssender Kavkassia berichtete mehrmals von Sendeunterbrüchen, wenn regierungskritische Beiträge hätten gesendet werden sollen. Auch das georgische Diskussionsforum «www.forum.ge» wurde vorübergehend gesperrt. Nach seiner Wiedereröffnung wurden die User aufgefordert, keine Aussagen zu machen, welche dem Interesse des Staates schaden könnten.
Ein Journalist der Web-Zeitung «humanrights.ge» wurde zusammengeschlagen und festgenommen, als er einen Bericht über eine antirussische Kundgebung in Gori schreiben wollte. Vier Journalisten kamen während des Fünf-Tage-Krieges im August 2008 durch Schussverletzungen ums Leben. Mehrere Journalisten wurden während der Auseinandersetzungen in Südossetien von russischen Streitkräften für kurze Zeit festgenommen. Die Bewegungsfreiheit der Journalisten war in den Krisengebieten nicht gewährleistet.
Am 7. November 2007 verhängte Präsident Saakaschwili den Ausnahmezustand gegen die friedlichen Massenproteste der Opposition in Tbilissi. Es wurde dabei weitflächige und exzessive Gewalt gegen die Demonstrantinnen und Demonstranten angewendet. Wasserwerfer, Gummischrot, Tränengas und Stockschläge kamen zum Einsatz. Einige Demonstrantinnen und Demonstranten wurden festgenommen. Der Fernsehsender Imedi TV wurde von Polizisten und Mitarbeitern des Innenministeriums gestürmt. Diese waren mit Sturmgewehren und anderen Waffen ausgerüstet, zerstörten Material und nahmen 300 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter vorübergehend fest.“ (SFH, 16. Oktober 2008)
Im Mai 2008 berichtet die Organisation Reporters Sans Frontières/Reporters Without Borders (RSF) von Angriffen auf Journalisten während der Parlamentswahlen:
“Reporters Without Borders condemns the physical attacks on journalists that occurred in various parts of the country while they were covering parliamentary elections on 21 May. The victims included a newspaper reporter in the eastern region of Kakheti and two TV crews and a reporter in the western region of Megrelia. […]
ElisoChapidze, a reporter for the Tbilisi-based daily Rezonansi, was attacked by several men who appeared to be ruling party activists while she was photographing a polling station in Kvemo Magaro, a village in Kakheti. “The accosted me when I began to take photos,” she said. “One twisted my hand. Another took my camera and my accreditation.”
In an article in today’s issue of her newspaper, Chapidze said she was questioned for three hours at the local police station when she went to report the attack, and was threatened with reprisals if she wrote about the incident.
Reporter Aleko Gabunia and cameraman Nikoloz Pataraya of the Mze television station and a Rustavi 2 cameraman were attacked while covering an incident in the village of Rukhi, in Megrelia, involving members of the electoral commission and a candidate, Koba Davitashvili.
Unidentified individuals pushed the Rustavi 2 cameraman to the ground, causing his camera to break. The Mze crew filmed this, but they were then beaten by about 30 people. Pataraya sustained a gash to his hand, while Gabunia was hit on the head and legs. Gabunia said there was little left of their equipment.
In a separate incident in the Megrelia region, reporter Nana Pajava was insulted and hit several times by electoral commission members when she asked about a complaint that had been made by a government opponent. She reported the attack to the authorities and said she knew the identity of her assailants.
The police issued press statements about these attacks and said they would investigate.” (RSF, 23. Mai 2008)
Das Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) schreibt im Jahresbericht 2007, erschienen im Februar 2008, über die Proteste der Opposition im November 2007 und erwähnt, dass Berichten zufolge vier Journalisten eines TV-Senders von der Polizei zusammengeschlagen worden seien.
Die Regierung Saakaschwili habe im Laufe der Zeit immer mehr Kontrolle über die Medien übernommen. Auch lokale Medien, die lokale Behörden kritisieren würden, seien Vergeltungsmaßnahmen und Schikanen ausgesetzt.
Georgien habe zwar ein progressives Mediengesetz, dieses werde jedoch von den Behörden nicht immer befolgt:
“Though the size of the protests diminished daily, an angry Saakashvili lashed out by shutting down Imedi and the local pro-opposition station Kavkaziya. While coverage on other television stations was largely pro-government, the administration barred all independent broadcasters from airing news reports. As the clampdown took hold, police broke up protests in front of parliament, using tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, and water cannons, according to international news outlets. More than 500 people were injured and 32 were detained, The Associated Press reported. Local press reports said police roughed up four journalists for the television channel Obshchestvenny Veshchatel. […]
Saakashvili came to power with promises of democratic reform. Following a brief honeymoon with the press, the administration’s intolerance of criticism, its bureaucratic secrecy, and its failure to reform a weak judiciary undermined many of the press freedom gains that followed the revolution. Public dissatisfaction with low standards of living and continued corruption caused its approval ratings to plunge.
As a result, the Saakashvili government closely scrutinized and sought to influence television reporting, the country’s most popular and influential source of news. It found success in the gradual decline of Rustavi-2 from a leading broadcaster that rallied Georgians during the Rose Revolution to a pro-Saakashvili station emphasizing entertainment. The evolution culminated in 2006, when management hired government loyalists in a staff shakeup, merged the station with two others, and sold the entity to a little-known holding company named Geotrans LLC. In October, Geotrans appointed Rustavi-2 Advertising Director Irakli Chikovani to head the station, moving the broadcaster even further from its news reporting roots, according to local news reports and CPJ research. […]
Regional media outlets that criticized local authorities faced retaliation and harassment. Throughout 2007, the Trialeti television company in the central city of Gori faced a campaign of harassment because the station criticized regional governor Mikhail Kareli, according to local press reports. Journalists and media executives from Trialeti received anonymous telephone threats, were barred from local government buildings, and stopped receiving government press releases, while their appeals for protection to police and prosecutors were ignored, the reports said. Trialeti also lost several advertising contracts, and its headquarters was vandalized.
Georgia has progressive press laws—such as a 2004 measure decriminalizing libel—but authorities have not consistently followed the letter or the spirit of these laws. Government officials, for example, effectively ignore the freedom of information law, with uncooperative press officers and outdated Web sites making it hard for journalists to obtain basic information about the work of state agencies, according to local press reports. Journalists reported that the powerful Defense Ministry is particularly secretive, and often bars critical journalists from press conferences.” (CPJ, 4. Februar 2008)
Im November 2007 veröffentlicht das Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) einen Beitrag über die Proteste der Opposition, in dem auch auf Gewalt gegen Journalisten eingegangen wird:
“As many as 50,000 protesters gathered on November 2 and blocked the main Rustaveli Prospect—the key street in the capital, which four years before had been the scene of the popular Rose Revolution that toppled the corrupt regime of Eduard Shevardnadze. Several thousand protesters remained on the streets Wednesday morning.
That morning, police dispersed protesters in front of parliament, using tear gas, rubber bullets, batons, and water cannons, according to local and international reports. Georgian health officials said more than 500 people sought medical treatment for injuries, The Associated Press reported. Police detained 32 protesters, AP said. According to human rights groups and eyewitnesses, police forbade television stations from filming the protests’ dispersal and beat several journalists with batons.
Local press reports said that reporters Sofo Mdinaradze, Giga Makarashvili, and Lika Khurdidze, along with cameraman Gogita Kharebava—all with the television channel Obshchestvenny Veshchatel—were beaten by police. Police confiscated video cameras and banned television channels from filming the crackdown, reports said. Some journalists were beaten as they tried to film the dispersal.
“The forceful actions of police against journalists who tried to cover these significant events are unjustified,” said Simon. “We call on President Saakashvili and his government to investigate the reported police abuse and hold those responsible to account.” (CPJ, 8. November 2007)
Beiträge über Angriffe auf bzw. Bedrohung von Journalisten in Georgien sind auch auf der Website Georgien Nachrichten zu finden:
„Die beiden unabhängigen Journalisten Maka Ziklauri und Irakli Goguadse haben sich über einen neuen Angriff von Seiten der georgischen Regierung auf ihre Arbeit beklagt. Sie seien bei der Arbeit mit Gewalt bedroht worden.
Nach Angaben der beiden Journalisten wurden sie von mehreren Männern mit Gewalt in ein Auto gezwängt, das keine Kennzeichen hatte. Beide stellten ihren Fall im Büro des Ombudsmannes dar.“ (Georgien Nachrichten, 23. Dezember 2008)
„Der georgische Ombudsmann Sosar Subari hat von der Staatsanwaltschaft in Batumi verlangt, einem Fall von Morddrohungen gegen Journalisten nachzugehen. Dabei geht es um die Wochenzeitung Batumelebi, die in der Hauptstadt Adschariens erscheint.
In der letzten Woche hatte die Zeitung eine e-Mail erhalten. In dieser hieß es nach einem Bericht des Nachrichtendienstes Civil Georgia, einen namentlich genannten Journalisten werde man „tot mit der Zeitung in Mund“ auffinden.
Zuvor hatten bereits der Chefredakteur der Zeitung und ein Journalist festgestellt, dass sie von unbekannten Männern beschattet werden. Dabei legten es die Beschatter nach Angaben der Opfer bewusst darauf an, dass sie bemerkt werden.
Subari hatte in den vergangenen Monaten darauf hingewiesen, dass die Zensur zugenommen, die Pressefreiheit dafür abgenommen hat. Zudem wirft er der Regierung Saakaschwili vor, ein Klima der Angst in Georgien geschaffen zu haben.“ (Georgien Nachrichten, 31. Juli 2008)
Zur Situation der Medien in Georgien in den letzten Jahren siehe auch folgenden Bericht:
Diese Informationen beruhen auf einer zeitlich begrenzten Recherche in öffentlich zugänglichen Dokumenten, die ACCORD derzeit zur Verfügung stehen. Diese Antwort stellt keine Meinung zum Inhalt eines bestimmten Ansuchens um Asyl oder anderen internationalen Schutz dar. Wir empfehlen, die verwendeten Materialien zur Gänze durchzusehen.
Quellen:
Informationen zur Fernsehstation Kawakasiya/Kavkasia o. ä.; Gewalt gegen diese Fernsehstation bzw. deren Mitarbeiter (auch 2003)
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Eurasianet: GEORGIA’S REVOLUTIONARIES FACE GROWING INTERNAL OPPOSITION, 2. Dezember 2003 (veröffentlicht auf LexisNexis, Kopie im Anhang beigelegt)
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HRIDC – Human Rights Information and Documentation Center: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back. Human Rights in Georgia after the “Rose Revolution”, 2004
http://www.humanrights.ge/files/REPORT.pdf (Zugriff am 20. Jänner 2009)
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Imedi TV: Georgian Labour Party accuses new authorities of terrorizing opponents, 29. November 2003 (veröffentlicht auf LexisNexis, Kopie im Anhang beigelegt)
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Verfolgung von Journalisten
