H.E. Eduard Shevardnadze
President
Republic of Georgia
Tbilisi
Georgia

Via Fax: + 995 32 99 86 90

Vienna, 3 April 2001

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and media executives, is alarmed at the recent attacks on the Tbilisi newspaper Meridiani and its staff.

According to IPI’s sources, when staff at the weekly Meridiani returned to work on 1 April they discovered their offices had been broken into during the night and a number of computers and other equipment were missing. Among the stolen items were two computers containing templates, back-up files and the complete current issue of Meridiani. Other property was also taken during the break-in. As a result of the incident, Meridiani was forced to suspend publication.

Tamaz Tsertsvadze, editor-in-chief of Meridiani, believes that the incident was deliberately aimed at stopping publication of the newspaper. The perpetrators did not take any money from the office and they left behind other valuables, including computers. Tsertsvadze’s desk was also searched and cables connecting the newspaper’s computers were cut. Tsertsvadze himself was brutally attacked recently by a group of unknown individuals on 24 February in Tbilisi. Prior to the attack on Tsertsvadze the newspaper had received several threatening telephone calls demanding that Meridiani stop publishing articles critical of the authorities.

When taken together, these attacks appear to be a deliberate effort to shut down the newspaper and force its journalists into silence. The recent break-in, and the attack on Tsertsvadze, are deplorable acts and in gross violation of of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Therefore, IPI urges Your Excellency to ensure that there is a thorough investigation into the break-in of Meridiani’s offices and that those guilty are brought to justice. Moreover, IPI is worried about the lack of progress into the investigation of the assault on Tsertsvadze. Such attacks have a crippling effect on freedom of the media since they contribute to create a climate of fear in which journalists often resort to self-censorship. It is therefore of great importance that the culprits of such crimes are not allowed to escape with impunity.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director