The Public Defender of Georgia has addressed the Prosecutor General of Georgia with a proposal to launch an investigation into the possible persecution of Adjara TV and Radio staff. The ombudsman's office spreads information about the case.
According to the Public Defender, the investigation revealed that the TV station employees were being persecuted for dissenting opinions, in particular, for openly expressing critical opinions on management decisions.
"Employees without any justification had to deal with change in their functions, as well as disciplinary proceedings and dismissal. The motive was to restrict the freedom of expression of critical opinion by certain people.
The Public Defender drew attention to the fact that the investigating agency considered the described facts to be the subject of a civil dispute but did not launch an investigation. Undoubtedly, appealing to a court to restore labor rights by television employees cannot be considered a sufficient retaliatory action for a possible crime. However, civil proceedings do not rule out the investigation of facts containing signs of a possible crime. Accordingly, the Public Defender of Georgia considers that the actions taken against the staff of the Public Broadcaster of Adjara Television and Radio, which contain signs of possible persecution, require an adequate assessment by the investigative agency, the initiation of an investigation, and appropriate legal measures," reads the statement.
