Bakradze Rules Out Political Motives Behind Maestro TV Blast
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 25 May.'09 / 15:31

Parliamentary Chairman, Davit Bakradze, said there was no political motive behind the explosion at the Tbilisi-based pro-opposition Maestro TV and called on the politicians to refrain from pre-judgments.

“It is an alarming fact,” he told journalists on May 25. “I call on everybody to refrain from political speculation about this. I am sure that this fact has nothing to do with politics. It should be investigated. The perpetrators should be revealed and punished. I am sure that it will happen so. I will personally oversee that a vigorous investigation is conducted and that the investigation is completed as soon as possible. The perpetrators should be punished to ensure that nobody has a chance to politicize and speculate over this fact.”

Meanwhile, Public Defender, Sozar Subari, said that tossing a grenade at a television station “is not only a grave offense, but also yet another attempt to suppress freedom of speech and expression.”

The Public Defender called for a prompt investigation and also to find out why police delayed to come to the incident cite. Maestro TV said that police came only 45 minutes after it reported about the explosion to the police via phone.

“We can not accept living in the country where the raid of TV companies, throwing the bombs, beating and intimidating of journalists, restricting freedom of expression and speech, which won’t be followed by an adequate investigation and punishment of criminal offenders, is a common issue,” the Public Defender said in the statement.

Civil.Ge © 2001-2024