The ban on Telara Gelantia from attending the Government meeting raises strong suspicions of discriminatory treatment of the journalist. This decision by the Government Administration contributes to the creation of a hostile environment for the media and worsens the quality of media freedom in Georgia.
On 12 September, the Georgian Government did not allow BMG editor Telara Gelantia to attend the meeting of the Georgian government. The government administration verbally told the journalist that the reason for not allowing him was that he asked a lot of questions and disturbed his colleagues.
It should be noted that Telara Gelantia has been regularly attending and reporting on government meetings and asking questions for about 10 years. During all this time, she has never been warned or reprimanded for violating any rules of conduct.
An analysis of the circumstances indicates that the journalist’s ban from the meeting was due to the alleged discriminatory treatment by the Government Administration. In particular, the Government Administration did not deny the cameraman entry, and the BMG clarified that its ban applied only to Telara Gelantia personally and not to television in general.
Discriminatory treatment of journalists contributes to the creation of a hostile environment for the media and worsens the quality of media freedom in Georgia. The case described is not the first instance of possible discriminatory treatment of the journalist. With the help of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), a media advocacy member organisation, Telara Gelantia applies to the Public Defender of Georgia to investigate the possible discriminatory treatment of the journalist.
We call on the government administration to provide an immediate explanation for the possible discriminatory treatment of Telara Gelantia. The state is obliged to ensure Gelantia’s unhindered attendance at the next government meeting.
