Over 70 Georgian media organizations, including Accentnews.ge have appealed to the international community in the aftermath of the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Aleksandre Lashkarava, saying that “cases of violation of the rights of media representatives in Georgia have reached a critical level.”

The signatory media organizations asked the representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations accredited in Georgia immediately and effectively respond “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.”

"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," the statement said.

The signatory organizations are:

• Mtavari
• TV Formula
• Rustavi 2
• Tabula
• Imedi TV
• Kavkasia TV
• The Charter of Journalistic Ethics
• Adjara Public Broadcaster and Radio
• Georgian Public Broadcaster
• TV Pirveli
• Express News
• FaxInterNews
• Artarea TV
• Studio Monitor
• Georgian Times Radio
• Fact Check
• AT.ge
• Media Development Foundation
• Border Zone
• NNLE Media and Communication Educational and Research Center
• Radio Voice of Abkhazia
• Radio Dardimandi
• Alternative Professional Union of Adjara Public Broadcaster
• Media Holding Hereti: Radio Hereti FM102.8, Radio Tbilisi FM93.5,
• Radio Citrus FM97.3
• Radio Dzveli Kalaki
• Georgian Regional Radio Network TV
• Company New
• OC Media
• Eco-Fact
• Radio Holding Fortuna
• SOVA
• Batumelebi
• Newsreport
• On.ge
• Netgazeti
• InterPressNews.ge
• Blog SocReactive
• TSpress.ge
• Radio Atinati
• Metronome.ge
• Publika
• Civil.ge
• Internews-Georgia
• Media.ge
• Openrustavi.ge
• Palitranews;
• Radio Palitra
• Radio Marneuli
• Euronews Georgia
• FirstNews.ge
• Kutaisi Today
• Speqtri.ge
• Cnews
• Media Holding "Qronika +
• " Droa.ge
• Accentnews.ge
• Popmusic.ge
• Popsport.com
• Gurianews.ge
• Tok TV
• Media rights
• Journalism Resource Center
• Agrogaremo
• TV Alliance of Regional Broadcasters
• Radio Green Wave
• Radio Imedi
• Commersant
• JAMNews
• Reginfo.ge
• DailyInfo.ge
• News Agency
• Front News
• Front News International Kiev Office
• ifact.ge
• ipress.ge
• tv25
• Guria TV
• Metskhre talgha
• okribanews
• newpost
• pia.ge
• digest.ge
• funtime.ge
• tbiliselebi.ge
• exclusivetv.ge
• GHN