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The Week in Brief

Friday, December 14
Imedi TV has returned to the air, and it is not happy. Its first broadcast centered on its sudden and destructive shut down by authorities on November 7, as anti-government protestors were being violently dispersed from the center of Tbilisi. Opposition politicians met the return of the broadcaster, known for being less than friendly toward the government, with glee.

And Imedi founder, Badri Patarkatsishvili, said through his spokesmen here that he may be returning to the country soon—but first, he wants government guarantees of immunity. Patarkatsishvili is wanted for questioning on his role in the events of November 7, when a statement he made allegedly calling for the overthrow of the state provided a justification for shutting down Imedi.

The opposition representatives of the Central Election Commission voted to block Georgian soldiers serving in Iraq and Kosovo from casting ballots in the January 5 election. The opposition justified the widely-criticized move by pointing to a provision of the constitution which, creatively interpreted, could rule out voting in a war zone. The ruling party says it was a blatant attempt to take away a few more votes from their candidate, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Human Rights Ombudsman Sozar Subari asked the prosecutor general to investigate police actions on November 7. Subari says the use of rubber bullets and the alleged targeting of journalists in anti-riot operations that day violated the law.

TV celebrity journalist Inga Grigolia returned to the airwaves after leaving then-closed Imedi TV for an independent studio. Her “Prime Time” premier aired on Imedi competitor Rustavi 2, and featured two government representatives as guests. The government had previously refused to appear on her Imedi talk shows.

Hereti FM, a small regional radio station, said a man affiliated with the ruling party tried to cajole them into airing favourable coverage of Mikheil Saakashvili. Hereti director Ramaz Samkharadze taped the conversation, which appeared to implicate a number of top-ranking officials. A concerned human rights ombudsman asked for an inquiry into this latest example of pressure on the media.

UNOMIG did not see the buildup of Russian military forces which Tbilisi alleges is taking place in secessionist Abkhazia. Both sides in that frozen conflict are, as usual, accusing the other of provocations.

The Central Election Commission issued the final list of candidates for the January 5 presidential election. They are: business tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, Imedi Party leader Irina Sarishvili, incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili, opposition coalition pick Levan Gachechiladze, New Rights leader Davit Gamkrelidze, former Enron accountant Gia Maisashvili and Shalva Natelashvili of the Labor Party.