GDI responds to the suspension of accreditation by the Parliament of Georgia for journalists and operators of critical TV companies and believes that the new rule of accreditation of mass media representatives in the Parliament of Georgia introduced by the Speaker of the Parliament contradicts the Constitution of Georgia.
On April 6, 2023, the Parliament of Georgia suspended the accreditation of three critical media journalists and two cameramen, namely Formula journalist Sofia Gozalishvili, TV Pirveli journalist Rusudan Dumbadze and cameraman Irakli Murmanishvili, Mtavari Arkhi journalist Tatia Tsotsanava and cameraman Zuka Chkhvirkia. The mentioned decision was taken by the Parliament of Georgia after the media representatives asked the MPs questions about sanctioning of judges by the US and the alleged cases of sexual harassment of women committed by Shalva Ramishvili.
We remind you that on February 6, 2023, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia issued an order defining the procedure for the accreditation of media representatives in the Parliament of Georgia. Under the aforementioned order, journalists are obligated to terminate interviews if a parliament member, an office employee, or any person visiting the parliament refuses to have the interview recorded.
We believe that the order of the Speaker of the Parliament contradicts Article 17 of the Constitution of Georgia, which guarantees the right of every person to receive and disseminate information freely. This right is the most crucial component of a democratic state, through which society can be informed about the activities of state institutions. The media acting as a means of mass dissemination of information plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accountability of the government to the public. Therefore, it is unacceptable for a democratic society to employ rules that prevent the media from carrying out its principal function - informing the public.
The order of the Speaker of the Parliament allows the Parliament to abuse its powers and limit the accreditation of journalists whose questions may cause discomfort to the ruling party. The Constitution of Georgia does not consider the right of parliamentarians to be protected from critical questions of journalists as a basis for limiting the right to receive and disseminate information. The order issued by the Speaker of the Parliament allows the possibility of suspending the accreditation of the journalists if they do not terminate the interview in case of refusal to record the interview by a member of the Parliament of Georgia, an employee of the apparatus, or a person visiting the Parliament.
This kind of regulation implies the installation of an informational filter on journalistic activity, which has a dampening effect. Under the current rule, journalists may avoid asking critical questions to the ruling party for fear of suspension of accreditation, which would deprive them of the opportunity to inform the public about current political issues in the country.
Therefore, the rule of suspension of accreditation accepted by the Speaker of the Parliament contradicts the right to receive and disseminate information protected by the Constitution.
GDI calls on the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia:
