Person accused of violence against the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s cameraman sentenced to imprisonment as a measure of restraint.

The Prosecution Service has indicted G.Ts. for persecution against an operator of Georgian Public Broadcaster I.T. due to his journalistic activities during the demonstration against Tbilisi Pride on July 5, for unlawful interference with a journalist’s professional work motivated by other type of discrimination-based intolerance, and for participation in group violence motivated by intolerance.

The investigation carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has established that on July 5, during the demonstration held in parallel with Tbilisi Pride, G.Ts. who was involved in organized group violence, and others with him, attacked the GPB operator I.T. Using physical and verbal abuse, they were forcing him to stop his professional activities to prevent him from capturing on camera and disseminating the material depicting the their aggressive behavior.

G.Ts.was indicted under Article 154 §2 (unlawful interference with a journalist’s professional activities, committed by threat of violence), Article 156 §2 (a) (persecution related to professional activity, committed using violence), and Article 225 §2 (participation in group violence) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carry imprisonment for a term of four to six years.