Nata Kajaia, a journalist from government-critical TV channel TV Pirveli, has been banned from working in the Georgian Parliament for one year for a third time.
The head of the parliamentary staff, Kakha Okrojanashvili says an accredited journalist is obliged to stop an interview if a member of parliament, staff member or guest refuses to continue, citing a June 27 report aired on Nodar Meladze’s program as evidence of a violation.
In the report, Kajaia covered the employment of wives of members of parliament and ministers.
In June, the parliament issued two similar sanctions to TV Pirveli journalists, with Maka Chikhladze suspended for six months and Maka Andronikashvili for one month.
The Rules for the Work of Journalists in Parliament were approved by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and entered into force on March 1, 2023. The rules state that journalists may be suspended from accreditation if they continue questioning after a refusal to comment, with longer bans for repeated violations.
