TBILISI, May 6 – Georgian journalist Guram Rogava has been called for questioning after Formula TV aired an investigation claiming to have identified the person who allegedly attacked him while he was working.
Rogava, a journalist with opposition-leaning Formula TV, is not currently in Georgia, so the questioning will take place online, Rezonansi reported, citing the TV company. According to Rogava, he is due to be questioned on Thursday, May 7, at 12:00 Tbilisi time.
Formula said Rogava was summoned after an investigative report aired on the program “The real story with Eliso Jariashvili.” Jariashvili was also called for questioning.
According to Formula’s investigation, the alleged attacker has been identified. The TV company claims, based on several sources, that the person who physically assaulted Rogava while he was carrying out his professional duties was an employee of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Rogava case has become one of the most visible examples in Georgia’s wider fight over media safety during protests. Rights groups and media organizations say journalists and camera operators have repeatedly faced violence and obstruction while covering unrest.
Government and ruling-party figures have pushed back against parts of that narrative, arguing that some journalists act provocatively at protest flashpoints. Mamuka Mdinaradze, one of the ruling party’s senior figures, said while discussing Rogava’s case that even if a journalist is behind a “dirty provocation,” police should still try not to use physical violence.
Another high profile case that harbors the same split interpretation is that of Mzia Amaghlobeli, who is currently serving a two year sentence for slapping a police chief in the face. While the opposition and non-governmental organizations speak of political repression, government supporters say journalists among the opposition are crossing into activism.
