Trialeti TV and Radio Company Addresses Public Defender with Open Letter

Trialeti TV and Radio Company is addressing the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, with an open letter, requesting that he expedite the investigation of the issue of possible discriminatory treatment of the company.

As stated in the letter, Trialeti had already addressed the Public Defender on January 29 of this year with a request to investigate the facts of the discriminatory attitude shown towards the company by the government.

According to the company, at that time the Public Defender was presented with a number of circumstances that, in their opinion, indicated a violation of the principle of equality guaranteed by the Constitution and that the government’s actions posed a real threat to the continuation of Trialeti’s broadcasting.

This time, Trialeti draws the Public Defender’s attention to a new circumstance, which, according to the company, indicates a discriminatory approach and selective attitude.

According to the letter, during a debate on the air of Rustavi 2 TV, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze publicly stated that there are television stations in the country that have debts to the state budget, although the government neither demands immediate payment of the debt from them nor applies sanctions.

According to Trialeti, contrary to the above, a strict enforcement mechanism has been applied to the company — in particular, according to their own information, the company’s accounts have been collected and all incoming funds are being withdrawn in full, which significantly hinders the broadcaster’s activities.

The company also points out that, in their assessment, the Prime Minister’s public statements indicate that Rustavi 2 was given the opportunity to restructure its debt, while Trialeti’s repeated requests for restructuring were rejected each time.

According to Trialeti, these circumstances confirm that the state is using a selective and unequal approach towards various media outlets, which, they say, contradicts the principles of equality, rule of law, and media freedom enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia and international obligations.

In the open letter, the company demands that the government stop the pressure, remove the collection from the company’s accounts, and, like Rustavi 2, give Trialeti the opportunity to restructure its debt.

In addition, Trialeti notes that they are aware that the Public Defender has a period of several months specified by law to study such an issue, however, according to the company, due to the current situation, there is a real danger that the broadcaster will not be able to continue operating before a decision is made.

For this reason, the TV and Radio Company calls on the Public Defender to study the case in an expedited manner, taking into account the special importance of the issue and possible irreversible consequences, and, in the event of discrimination being established, to issue appropriate recommendations to the responsible state agencies.

Trialeti states that the facts presented by them indicate that the Prime Minister has publicly acknowledged an unequal and selective approach towards various media outlets, and asks the Public Defender to expedite the decision-making process in a timely manner so that, in their assessment, an attempt to destroy free and independent media does not become a reality.