Public defender calls on parliament speaker amend controversial rule to prevent interference in media activities

Public Defender Levan Ioseliani on Friday responded to the suspension of accreditation by the parliament for representatives of critical media and urged the parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili to amend a specific regulation to prevent interference in the journalist activities. 

 

The accreditation has been suspended for the journalists of Netgazeti, Publica, Formula, TV Pirveli and the Main channel for one month, with the body citing improper behavior by the media representatives.  

The media representatives, however, claimed the suspension had been caused by “discriminatory grounds”, for asking the questions to the lawmakers, they did not wish to answer. 

 

The Media Advocacy Coalition also condemned the parliament’s move, saying the decision was “punitive, especially against the background of the ruling Georgian Dream party’s boycott of critical media and polarized media environment”.