Georgia Today, Tbilisi, 11 Aug 2008 – Two Georgian journalists, Ghiga Chikhladze and Alexander Klimchuk, were killed in Tskhinvali while covering the conflict according to media sources interviewing the correspondent of Russia Newsweek.
Is has been reported that Chikhladze and Klimchuk along with two other journalists were attempting to cross the South Ossetian check post when they were mistakenly caught in crossfire and their car was shelled as they tried to escape. The two journalists lost their lives in the confrontation and the other two, including an American reporter working in Tbilisi, were wounded and are being treated in hospitals in Russia. Both Klimchuk and Chikhladze had been in South Ossetia before Georgia’s assault stated on the night of August 7 and they were in Tskhinvali when fighting began in the streets. According to reports the group of journalists were attacked trying to enter the region with South Ossetian forces.
Alexander Klimchuk was a twenty-seven-year old photojournalist who collaborated with several international editions and was the owner of Georgia’s sole independent photo agency, Caucasus Press Images, located in Tbilisi.
Ghiga Chikhladze was an editor for the information department at Alaniya television and wrote for several foreign editions including Newsweek Russia. Ghiga Chikhladze is survived by his wife and two children.
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