Journalists from Maestro TV, a Tbilisi-based television station embroiled in a conflict between its owners and the founder of its managing firm Erosi Kitsmarishvili, called on the Georgian Public Defender, Giorgi Tugushi, to look into the cases of hindering journalists’ work at the time when the standoff was unfolding in the premises of the TV station last week.

“As you are aware Maestro TV staff is not able to fully carry out our professional duties, because unknown persons, accompanying Erosi Kitsmarishvili are still located in the television station’s building. The television station’s staff has called on the sides [owners and the managing firm] for negotiations and on unknown persons to leave the TV station’s premises, whose presence [inside the office] clearly hinders journalistic work,” the journalists’ appeal to the Public Defender reads.

“As you are aware article 154 of the criminal code envisages responsibility for illegally hindering journalistic work. It is clearly visible in footage shown by the media sources on November 30, 2011, that the patrol police do not allow Maestro TV’s journalists to enter inside the building, which represents hindering journalists’ work. At the same time the journalists have stated for number of times that they were not allowed by persons accompanying Erosi Kitsmarishvili to freely move inside the TV station’s yard, which also represents a blatant interference in the journalistic work,” it says.

“We are aware of your position, that the Public Defender can not intervene in the television station’s internal affairs, but it is incomprehensible [the Public Defender’s] approach towards the case of hindering of the journalist work,” the statement reads.

Currently Maestro TV continues broadcasting with limited programming from the office of an affiliated FM radio station. It is now available on cable networks, but not through satellite. Equipment required for the TV station to broadcast via satellite was left in the office, vacated by the owners and the staff late on December 1. Kitsmarishvili is now in control of the office, as well as the satellite broadcasting equipment. Kitsmarishvili said that he would provide broadcasting via satellite with a programming separate from the one that is available on Maestro TV’s channel on the cable networks. It means that the same television station may broadcast different programming via satellite and cable. Owners of the Maestro TV appealed to the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC) to intervene. Dimitri Gabunia, a lawyer for Maestro TV’s one of the co-owners, Maka Asatiani, said that if GNCC failed to react, Maestro TV would ask the Turkish satellite operator, Turksat, to temporarily suspend Maestro TV’s satellite broadcasting.

Also on December 5, Maka Asatiani, who owns 25% of Maestro TV’s shares, said in a statement that she bankrolled about USD 3 million “to secure Maestro TV’s unhindered broadcasting”; she accused Kitsmarishvili of embezzling USD 500,000. She has also alleged that Kitsmarishvili, trying to shun away from repaying “stolen” money, attempted to illegally seize control over the TV station with the tacit backing from the authorities.