Adjara TV host Koba Partenadze has posted on Facebook saying he has been attacked, threatened and verbally and physically assaulted in Batumi on an almost daily basis.
In a video posted on the morning of August 10, several unidentified individuals can be seen telling Partenadze to follow them. He refuses, saying he is on his way to the television station, but they continue to confront him.
“Every evening, I encounter people who insult me, threaten me and physically touch me. There have been several incidents of attacks against me in recent days,” Partenadze wrote. “Some of them were captured on camera, while I do not have footage of others because I never imagined that I would need to use my phone in everyday life to document threats to my safety and dignity.
“How many times do I have to be attacked for this to stop being just an ‘incident’? How many times do I have to go to the police before someone considers this a systematic problem?
“I am not asking for special treatment. I am not asking to be above the law. I am asking only for what every citizen deserves – safety, protection under the law and justice.” – Partenadze wrote.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to promptly investigate the reported attacks and ensure Partenadze’s safety.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs press center told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that an investigation is underway and investigative measures are being carried out.
