Cases of violation of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level. Dozens of cases against the media are still uninvestigated. The authorities fail to ensure the safety of journalists, while the statements by the officials of the ruling party encourage the violence even more.

On July 5, 2021, during a demonstration against the "March of Dignity", members of a violent group deliberately attacked the media representatives, subjected them to physical and verbal abuse, and deliberately destroyed their equipment to obstruct their journalistic activities.

Despite the preliminary calls from the civil sector, the state has not taken appropriate measures to protect the media representatives. Insufficient police forces did not take measures to protect the journalists. Moreover, on July 5, before the start of the government session, the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili, laid the responsibility not upon the members of the demonstration but the organizers of the "March of Dignity" for the possible complication of the situation and called them not to hold the march on Rustaveli Avenue.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on July 5, 53 members of the media were injured, including the operator of TV Pirveli - Aleksandre Lashkarava, who was severely beaten by violent groups on July 5. Aleksandre Lashkarava died on July 11.

Part of the media representatives still remain in the hospital. Members of various violent groups continue to openly threaten journalists and cameramen, to which the law enforcement agencies do not respond accordingly. The organizers of the violent demonstration of July 5, whose identities are not known, have not been arrested either.

It should be noted that most of the facts of the attacks on journalists, obstruction of media activities and violence happened in the past have not been investigated so far and the issue of responsibility of the organizers of the violent groups has not been outlined.

We appeal to the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Georgia to respond immediately and effectively to the purposive persecution of media representatives on Rustaveli Avenue on July 5, the facts of damage to health, obstruction of professional duties and inaction of the Georgian government.

Signatories:

1. Mtavari
2. TV Formula
3. Rustavi 2
4. Tabula
5. Imedi TV
6. Kavkasia TV
7. The Charter of Journalistic Ethics
8. Adjara Public Broadcaster and Radio
9. Georgian Public Broadcaster
10. TV Pirveli
11. Express News
12. FaxInterNews
13. Artarea TV
14. Studio Monitor
15. Georgian Times Radio
16. Fact Check
17. AT.ge
18. Media Development Foundation
19. Border Zone
20. NNLE Media and Communication Educational and Research Center
21. Radio Voice of Abkhazia
22. Radio Dardimandi
23. Alternative Professional Union of Adjara Public Broadcaster
24. Media Holding Hereti: Radio Hereti FM102.8, Radio Tbilisi FM93.5,
25. Radio Citrus FM97.3
26. Radio Dzveli Kalaki
27. Georgian Regional Radio Network TV
28. Company New
29. OC Media
30. Eco-Fact
31. Radio Holding Fortuna
32. SOVA
33. Batumelebi
34. Newsreport
35. On.ge
36. Netgazeti
37. InterPressNews.ge
38. Blog SocReactive
39. TSpress.ge
40. Radio Atinati
41. Metronome.ge
42. Publika
43. Civil.ge
44. Internews-Georgia
45. Media.ge
46. Openrustavi.ge
47. Palitranews;
48. Radio Palitra
49. Radio Marneuli
50. Euronews Georgia
51. FirstNews.ge
52. Kutaisi Today
53. Speqtri.ge
54. Cnews
55. Media Holding "Qronika +
56. " Droa.ge
57. Accentnews.ge
58. Popmusic.ge
59. Popsport.com
60. Gurianews.ge
61. Tok TV
62. Media rights
63. Journalism Resource Center
64. Agrogaremo
65. TV Alliance of Regional Broadcasters
66. Radio Green Wave
67. Radio Imedi
68. Commersant
69. JAMNews
70. Reginfo.ge
71. DailyInfo.ge
72. News Agency Front News
73. Front News International Kiev Office
74. ifact.ge
75. ipress.ge
76. tv25
77. Guria TV
78. Metskhre talgha
79. okribanews
80. newpost
81. pia.ge
82. digest.ge
83. funtime.ge
84. tbiliselebi.ge
85. exclusivetv.ge
86. GHN
87. geodigest.ge

88. Europetime.eu

89. ოდიში TV
90. გურიის მოამბე
91. Dianews
92. report.ge
93. AliQ Media
94. Info Rustavi
95. მეგა TV
96. DiaNews
97. Radio Mozaika
98. Dia TV
99. NewPress.ge
100. Timer
101. Radio WW
102. Chemi kharagauli
103. QvemoQartli.ge