A group of journalists signed a joint statement on June 3 condemning changes made at Imedi radio station’s top management, saying they constitute “pressure on free media.”

Joseph Kay, who claims to be the new owner of Imedi media holding, sacked Imedi radio station director Nona Kandiashvili and general-director Irakli Khetereli on May 30. Nino Gabriadze, a spokesperson of State Minister for Regional Issues Davit Tkeshelashvili took over as the new director.

“Joseph Kay told me that he had many businesses in Georgia and he did not want to endanger his businesses,” Kandiashvili told Civil.Ge on June 3. “I guess everything is clear when a person tells you that he does not want to endanger his businesses because the radio station is objective.”

She also said that she expected an official dismissal note based on which she would appeal to the courts.

“We are alarmed at the actions undertaken against our colleagues,” the statement signed by almost one hundred Georgian journalists reads. “We call on international organizations and foreign diplomats accredited in Georgia to appropriately assess this fact and also call on journalists and human right groups to jointly protect freedom of speech in Georgia.”

The protesting journalists assembled in the Public Defender’s Office on June 3.

Public Defender Sozar Subari told them that he was also “alarmed” at what he called “the continued policy of limiting freedom of speech and terrorizing journalists.”

“As soon as freedom of speech is completely restricted we will join those countries, where there is not even the semblance of democracy. The fact that there still remains a certain level of freedom of speech – although it is declining – indicates that there still is a certain level of democracy in this country, but there are signs that even this illusionary democracy will also disappear,” Subari said.

Mamuka Glonti, head of the small Tbilisi-based Maestro TV station, which goes out on cable, called on journalists at the meeting to set up an organization aimed at protecting journalists’ rights. Glonti is himself embroiled in a dispute with the communication regulatory commission over a political programming license for his television station.