All influential Georgian NGOs made the statement for the international organizations regarding the case of "Rustavi 2." Today, the letter was sent from Tbilisi to the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, OSCE, European Union "Reporters without Borders", Amnesty International, "Human Rights Watch", "Freedom House", International Federation of Journalists and other influential organizations.
The statement notes that it is important to maintain critical editorial policy of the channel and not to violate journalistic labor rights. Georgian NGOs ask international organizations to monitor closely events around the "Rustavi 2."
"As you know, due to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on July 18, the owners of the broadcasting company have changed. Those events may significantly affect the media environment in Georgia and restrict media pluralism.
TV company "Rustavi 2" affiliated with the opposition is distinguished by the critical editorial policy. Officials, including former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, did not hide their dissatisfaction with "Rustavi 2" and expressed the desire to be changed editorial policy. Despite the new owner"s announcement, there is legitimate suspicion that these statements are groundless. There are several facts: Last week, "Rustavi 2" employees offered to the new owner of the TV company to create the public council for the protection of the rights of editorial policy and journalists, which will be composed by civil society representatives, media experts and persons nominated by the owner. The main purpose of the council was to protect the rights of journalists and editorial policy from external interference. The new owner did not share this initiative and offered them alternative mechanisms for institutional protection. According to the new management, the hard financial situation was found on the channel. Because of this, there may be a threat that the new management of the broadcaster may use this fact as a pretext for discontinuing labor agreements with journalists, to cut off unwanted journalists from the channel and to change the editorial policy of the television. It is important to keep the critical editorial policy and not to violate journalists" labor rights," - Statement of the NGOs to the international organizations.