Media.ge, Tbilisi, 24 Jul 2008 – Journalist Gela Mtvlivishvili was verbally and physically abused by the administrative board employees in Sighnaghi Municipality Board building. The journalist was driven out of the building by the security guards.
The Center for Human Rights is reporting on the incident. Gela Mtvlivishvili works for this human rights organization.
According to the organization, the journalist was requesting access to the decision made by the public information officer of the municipality board; according to the decision, head of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) Giorgi Chkheidze was denied access to public information. The information regards funds for rehabilitation works performed in Sighnaghi.
The Center for Human Rights reports that the administrative board representative and an activist of the United National Movement’s Sighnaghi Regional Organization, Pikria Jokharidze firs verbally assaulted the journalist and then summoned the administrative board employees who twisted Mtvlivishvili’s arms and drove him out of the building. Jokharidze also declared that Kakheti Regional Administration and the head of Sighnaghi Municipality commissioned them not to provide journalists with public information.
The Center for Human Rights mentions that Gela Mtvlivishvili filed a lawsuit against the head of Sighnaghi Municipality for blocking public information and demands imposition of disciplinary punishment on him.
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