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Compiled by Salome Modebadze
Monday, November 3
Shalva Ramishvili asks Bakradze for support

Akhali Taoba reports that Shalva Ramishvili, the co-founder of the Tbilisi-based 202 private television station, has asked David Bakradze, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, to support him. Ramishvili’s request has been sent to Bakradze by the Public Defender.

In his appeal to David Bakradze Ramishvili asks the Penitential Department to annul the decision of the permanent commission which rejected his plea for liberty after a suspended sentence was imposed on him. Ramishvili said that the members of commission sought to disguise the illegality of the Government’s actions and human rights encroachments by making an unreasonable judicial act. Ramishvili considers that the annulment of the Penitential Department’s resolution, and a court’s condemnation of them, would create an important precedent for thousands of prisoners awaiting liberty.

On July 21, 2008 Ramishvili lodged a complaint against Bacho Akhalaia, the Head of Penitentiary Department, in Tbilisi Civil Court. On September 12, The Public Defender appealed to Nika Gvaramia, the Minister of Justice with a petition for Ramishvili’s release. The Public Defender has said that the commission rejected Ramishvili’s release without any substantiating explanation.



Return Imedi TV to its legal owner!

A protest rally demanding that the Imedi TV company be returned to its legal owner was held outside its headquarters, Sakartvelos Respublika reports.

The motto of the rally was “How much does your dignity cost?” The rally was organised by the November 7 Movement.

The leaders of opposition parties held a press conference before the rally on the same issue.

Zviad Dzidziguri, the leader of the Conservative Party, said they will continue to protest until the company is returned to its legal owners.

“It’s somehow awkward to have Badri Patarkatsishvili’s photos hanging everywhere in Imedi TV, because it is Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia, whose photos should be there in any television station, as he is the voice behind them now. We are going to fight for our rights without any compromise,” Dzidziguri stated. Eka Beselia, said that the main issue of the November 7 demonstrations will be the return of Imedi TV.



Gia Natsvlishvili is new President

Sakartvelos Respublika writes that the Georgian National Olympic Committee (GNOC) has held a meeting at the Courtyard Marriott in which it outlined its work over the past four years.

Particular attention was paid at the meeting to the results of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The GNOC stated that it was very important for Georgia that it obtained the 27th place in the medal table, with 3 gold and 3 bronze medals, out of 204 countries competing. Revaz Mindorashvili, Irakli Tsirekidze, Manuchar Kvirkvelia, Nino Salukvadze, Giorgi Gogshelidze and Otar Tushishvili, the medal winners, were honoured for their contribution to the Olympic movement.

An election was also held for the post of GNOC President. At first there were five candidates for this post, but Leri Khabelov and Kakha Basilaia withdrew their candidatures. Gia Natsvlishvili was elected the new President, receiving 96 votes in the secret ballot.