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Censored
July 17
Rustavi-2, CENSORED
Rustavi-2, the leading nongovernment TV station in Tbilisi, with an audience of more than one million viewers, was forced off the air by the Georgian Ministry of Communications. The ministry revoked Rustavi-2Ős license, claiming that its parent company, Gamma Plus Agency, Ltd., is not authorized to broadcast on a television frequency. Independent observers expressed concern that the sudden withdrawal of the license was designed to pressure independent broadcasters, and that Rustavi-2Ős coverage of controversial stories on politics, ethnic relations, and organized crime may have been a factor in the decision. CPJ wrote a letter on July 24 to President Shevardnadze, urging him to investigate the case and to allow Rustavi-2 to continue its daily broadcasts until the matter is examined through due process of law. On Nov. 4, the Supreme Court of Georgia ruled that Rustavi-2 had been unlawfully denied a broadcasting license. But the Ministry of Communications has delayed the return of the license. The station remains off the air and its status is still unclear.
For more information contact europeweb@cpj.org