A Georgia court has sentenced a prominent journalist to three-and-a-half years in prison. Nika Gvaramia, an anchor and owner of the pro-opposition Mtavari TV, was found guilty of abusing his position and harming the financial interests of a television station he ran earlier, a judge of the Tbilisi City Court said on Monday. Mtavari TV is the country’s most popular television station and is critical of the Black Sea nation’s government. Gvaramia has also been a lawyer for Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is serving a six-year jail term for abuse of power.
Amnesty International has branded Saakashvili’s treatment by the Georgian government “not just selective justice but apparent political revenge.” Gvaramia has said his case was aimed at silencing critical media. His lawyer Dito Sadzaglishvili said Monday’s verdict was illegal. “Gvaramia was taken into political captivity. Political repressions are under way in Georgia,” he said. “In democratic countries, journalists are not jailed for their dissenting views.” Georgia’s prominent TV personalities and managers have long accused the Georgian Dream party’s government of using the judiciary to stifle independent voices. Rights groups have expressed concern over media freedom in Georgia, saying managers and owners of nearly all independent TV stations critical of the Georgian government are under investigation.
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