PM Kvirikashvili Responds to MEPs over Rustavi 2 TV Case
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has replied to a letter from 17 European Parliament Members expressing their concern regarding the court dispute over the private company Rustavi 2 TV. Kvirikashvili thanked the MEPs for their interest in the Rustavi 2 case and said that Georgia has reached significant progress towards modernizing the country and strengthening its democracy.
“You have expressed many times that you back Georgia’s European agenda and appreciate our efforts in terms of fighting important foreign and internal challenges. Taking all this into consideration, your letter of March 7 was entirely unexpected. I was astonished when I read the serious accusations in it,” Kvirirashvili’s letter reads.
The PM said that the freedom of media is guaranteed by the Georgian Constitution and it is paramount to the government.
“I can proudly declare that no period of history has experienced such diversity of opinions, pluralism and hot political debates as we see today in our media. Today, Georgian media is far freer from governmental interventions and criticizes it much more freely than at any time prior,” the letter continues.
The PM also added that while there were only three TV Channels throughout the country before 2012, now that number has reached 13. He added that accusing Georgia of pressuring a TV company, as well as the court, is both baseless and unfair.
“The dispute over Rustavi 2 is a carryover from a past when the right of property was often violated and freedom was sacrificed to political aims[…] It was our task to restore Georgia’s judiciary system, provide judiciary independence and restore social confidence towards that judiciary system,” the PM wrote.
Kvirikashvili concludes by assuring the MEPs that the government is ready for cooperation, cares for the protection and strengthening of democratic institutions, and aims to provide protection of private property, to strengthen the independence of the judiciary system and safeguarding an open and pluralistic media environment.
“The government will do everything to further the country’s development according to European and democratic values,” the letter reads.
The MEPs sent their letter to PM Kvirikashvili last week to express their concern regarding the ongoing “pressure” on the private, independent TV channel Rustavi 2.
“Rustavi 2 is the most popular Georgian TV outlet, which has been the target of attempts of forceful change of ownership for the past two years. The ongoing pressure on this independent TV channel reached its most alarming stage on March 2nd, with the decision of the Georgian Supreme Court to transfer the ownership rights of Rustavi 2 to former co-owner and government ally, Kibar Khalvashi,” the letter of MEPs reads.
The MEPs emphasize that change of the channel’s ownership rights and the resulting change in its editorial policy would turn Rustavi 2 into another government-friendly media outlet and consequently seriously decrease the quality of democracy and free media in Georgia.
“This would undermine Georgia’s ability to comply with the obligations it has undertaken as a signatory country of the Association Agreement with the European Union,” the letter says.
The MEPs went on to state that the decision of the Georgian Supreme Court, made behind closed doors and against ongoing public protest justone day after Georgia was granted visa-free access to the Schengen Zone, was particularly regretful.
The politicians also welcome the measure applied by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on March 3, instructing the Georgian authorities to suspend enforcement of the decision of the Supreme Court of Georgia and calling on Georgian authorities to refrain from any interference with the editorial policy of Rustavi 2. “We call on the Georgian authorities to refrain from using the judiciary system to achieve a politically expedient outcome and impede the independent editorial policy of Rustavi 2. We call on the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to give a critical appraisal of the actions of the Georgian authorities and demand full compliance with the obligations the Georgian authorities have undertaken vis-à-vis the European Union,” the letter reads.
The MEPs added that the European Parliament will continue to support Georgia’s ongoing efforts to build a modern, democratic state, based on the principles of rule of law and respect of fundamental political and human rights.
The Rustavi 2 TV dispute started in August 2015 when its co-owner, Kibar Khalvashi, filed a lawsuit to reclaim his shares, saying he was illegally deprived of his company under the previous United National Movement (UNM) government. The case was handed to the Grand Chamber on November 21, 2016. On March 2, 2017, the Chamber, which consists of nine judges, ruled that 60 percent of Rustavi 2 TV shares were to be given to Khalvashi and the remaining 40 percent to Panorama LTD, a company owned by him.
On March 3, the ECHR suspended enforcement of the March 2 verdict until March 8.On March 7, the ECHR prolonged the suspension over the case until the Strasburg Court can make a final decision over the dispute.
By Thea Morrison