Recently Leaked Phone Conversation Allegedly Involves Rustavi 2 TV Case

TBILISI – A new phone conversation which allegedly took place between the director general of the opposition-inclined Rustavi 2 TV, Nika Gvaramia, and the former Georgian Minister of Justice, Zurab Adeishvili, of former President Saakashvili's regime, has leaked on the internet. 

The conversation was released by recently created Ukrainian web page Українська революція.

The participants of the conversation talk about the Rustavi 2 TV Case and mention the judges and money - 3 million.

Gvaramia says the recording was made up by the State Security Service in order to put pressure on him. "This recording is a merciless fabrication. I am waiting for more dirty and private recordings in the future, but I do not care. They can do what they want. I will not step aside,” he claimed, adding that he has not had any conversation with Adeishvili for over two years.

The Chair of Parliament’s Legal Issues Committee, Eka Beselia, believes the former government wants to influence the court’s decision over Rustavi 2 Case.

“As we can see Nika Gvaramia and Rustavi 2 are openly attacking the court. It is important for us that the court make the decision independently and not be influenced by anyone,” she added.

However, the opposition parties claim that it is instead a case of the government attacking free media.

UNM member, Nika Rurua says the released recording is a fake.

“The government attacks need such falsifications to somehow justify its attack on Rustavi 2,” he said.

Another opposition party, Movement for Freedom-European Georgia, says the release recording proves that illegal eavesdropping is being conducted in the country.

“This is the hallmark of the State Security Agency. Only they after eavesdropping would make such a poor fabrication,” Otar Kakhidze, member of the European Georgia said.

Rustavi 2 is one of the most watched and opposition-minded broadcasters. The independence of the channel has been questioned in recent years, with many suggesting that it is biased in favor of the UNM.

At present, Rustavi 2 TV has an open court dispute with Kibar Khalvashi, the 2004-2006 co-owner of Rustavi 2. In August 2015 Khalvashi filed a lawsuit to reclaim his shares in Rustavi 2. He says he was illegally deprived of his company shares under the previous UNM government.

After the case went all the way up to the Supreme Court of Georgia, where the three supreme court judges decided to pass the case to the Grand Chamber, which solves the most high profile cases.

In January 2017, two supreme court judges applied to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia (POG), saying that there was an attempt to pressure them regarding the case.

The POG stated, the judges received letters at home and short text messages from foreign phone numbers, which included signs of attempted interference in their judiciary activities.

The recent recording is one of many others, illegally obtained and released during the last years, however, investigations have not confirmed their authenticity yet.

 By Thea Morrison