Kibar Khalvashi Names His Lawyer as New Director-General of Rustavi 2

Kibar Khalvashi, the former shareholder of one of the largest TV companies in Georgia Rustavi 2, to whom the company will be reregistered again according to today's decision of the European Court of Human Rights, has named his lawyer Paata Salia as a new Director-General of Rustavi 2. Salia will change Nika Gvaramia, the current Director-General of the TV Company.

According to Kibar Khalvashi, he does not intend to change the TV channel’s editorial policy.

“I’m not going to change the editorial policy of Rustavi 2. The changes will only apply to one person – Nika Gvaramia, who was appointed on this post by the regime which took away my company from me (ex-government). Gvaramia will no longer be able to continue his activities at Rustavi 2 neither as a journalist nor as a Director-General. My lawyer Paata Salia will head the Company instead of him”, Khalvashi said.

As Khalvashi explains in his statement, Salia's first task as the Head of the TV Company will be to ensure uninterrupted work of the channel and at the same time to study the financial situation in the company, for which he will have to address an international audit company with a high reputation.

"I hope that the company staff will adequately meet the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, continue their professional activities and we will all work together to ensure that Rustavi 2 is a successful and popular channel", Khalvashi added. 

Today, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a verdict in the ownership case of one of Georgia’s largest TV channels, Rustavi 2.

According to the Court’s judgment, there were no violations of any Article of the European Convention on Human Rights in the case of Rustavi 2. Additionally, the rights of Rustavi 2 and its owners were not violated at the Georgian courts.

Rustavi 2 can appeal the case at the Grand Chamber of Strasbourg.

Moreover, the Strasbourg Court suspended a temporary measure, which means that the mechanism of suspending the judgment of the Supreme Court of Georgia will no longer exist. Accordingly,  the TV company will be reregistered to shareholder Kibar Khalvashi, as it was decided before by the courts of three instances in Georgia. 

Related Story: European Court of Human Rights Releases Verdict on Rustavi 2 TV

By Ana Dumbadze