(GDF/IFEX) – According to GDF, on 17 August 1998, a trial of journalist Amiran Meskheliâs suit against the Saburtali Military Commissariat of Tbilisi was held in Tbilisi (the capital city). The defendants did not appear before the court, but Chairman Ramaz Doidjashvili delivered a judgment ordering the temporary release of the journalist from military service […]
(GDF/IFEX) – According to GDF, on 17 August 1998, a trial of journalist
Amiran Meskheliâs suit against the Saburtali Military Commissariat of
Tbilisi was held in Tbilisi (the capital city). The defendants did not
appear before the court, but Chairman Ramaz Doidjashvili delivered a
judgment ordering the temporary release of the journalist from military
service since he was “called up in violation of the law.”
**Updates IFEX alert of 9 July 1998**
Background Information
It was reported by GDF that Meskheli, a correspondent for the newspaper
“Orioni”, appeared to have been targeted for harassment by staff members of
the Georgian Ministry of Defence following the publication, in May 1998, of
an interview by Meskheli with several soldiers. On 11 June 1998, Meskheli
was called up and sent to the Akhaltsikhi brigade without any official
preliminary notification. The journalist produced a medical certificate
indicating that he suffered from a serious illness and asked to be removed
from military service.
GDF believes that the order to have Meskheli serve in the military is an
attempt to settle accounts with both him and “Orioni” for the published
interview, which appeared to have angered military officials (see IFEX
alert).
