15 November 2024,   06:37
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Joint Statement of Rustavi 2 TV news and Political Programs


Employees of Broadcasting Company Rustavi 2"s news and political programs make a joint statement. The channel employees support Nika Gvaramia and say that Rustavi 2"s General Director is the main guarantee of the channel"s editorial policy. The statement reads : 

"The decision of the Human Rights Court of Strasbourg, which leaves the main bastion of western values in Georgia alone in a battle for these values, causes our frustration.
We believe that in such situation, the main problem and threat to the channel, media space, and ultimately the whole country, is a change of the critical editorial policy of political programs and the whole of Rustavi 2.
We believe that Nika Gvaramia on the position of Director-General and his labour contract was the main guarantor of Rustavi 2"s editorial independence because Nika Gvaramia expresses and protects the values for which all employees of" Rustavi 2 "are fighting for. And his contract with "Rustavi 2", which is valid until December 31, 2020, is an additional guarantee for each employee, that the management of the channel will not change, accordingly, the management and our editorial independence will be guaranteed.

Kibar Khalvashi"s statement that he does not intend to change editorial policy or company employees except Nika Gvaramia, is not reliable for us and it appeared in the first minutes when his lawyer and as he says the future Director-General of the broadcasting company - Paata Salia arrived at the Public Registry to register shares of the broadcasting company with representatives of the pro-governmental media and has not informed the news department of Rustavi 2 or responded to phone calls of Rustavi 2"s producers.
We believe that Khalvashi represents the government of Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has been using all the possibilities and all the branches of power against "Rustavi 2". The political group that has been trying to change Rustavi 2"s critical editorial policy since the very first day of being in power.

All employees of "Courier" set as their personal and professional goal Georgia"s integration into Western civilization, for the establishment of democratic values in the country and fighting against the Occupier, Russia.
We do not believe that Bidzina Ivanishvili, "Georgian Dream" and Kibar Khalvashi, supported by them share these goals and agree with our spirit.

That is why our position is the following: Change of management in the broadcasting company By Kibar Khalvashi will be the first step towards changing the editorial policy of " Courier" and the entire channel, which is unacceptable for us.
We call on the Public Registry, not register change of owners before Rustavi 2 uses its right to appeal the decision at the Grand Chamber of Strasbourg Court.

We call on the Public Registry of Justice Ministry not to register the Director-General because Nika Gvaramia"s current contract does not consider the change of management until the end of 2020 and it will be a violation of the law.

In this struggle, we are unanimous and continue to struggle with the channel"s management until the final victory."

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