Constitutional Court suspends actions of temporary managers in Rustavi 2
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, November 16
After a three-day hearing, the Constitutional Court partially satisfied the claim of TV Company Sakartvelo and suspended the clause based on which the Rustavi 2 management was replaced.
The decision was made on November 13, and the Constitutional Court ordered the suspension of those clauses in the civil procedure code based on which judge Tamaz Urtmelidze ordered the appointment of temporary managers in Rustavi 2 TV a week ago.
Rustavi 2's chief executive, Nika Gvaramia, welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court.
"The Constitutional Court gave a chance to Georgian democracy, its Euro-Atlantic future and free media, and to the government to leave these processes with dignity. We won today and we celebrate this victory, but more important is that the Georgian state won, which is one of the most democratic and effective institutions,” Gvaramia stated.
He addressed the government and called on them to “stay away from the process and let the judiciary and the parties involved in the dispute to settle the case independently without any interference”.
On November 5, Tbilisi City Court judge Tamaz Urtmelidze appointed two interim owners for a ‘transition period’ in Rustavi 2 TV: Davit Dvali, who co-founded Rustavi 2, and Rezo Sakevarishvili, the former director of Imedi TV, replacing the broadcaster’s Director General Nika Gvaramia and Chief Financial Officer Kakha Damenia. The decision was appealed by lawyers representing the current majority shareholders of Rustavi 2.
However, on November 12, Urtmelidze announced his ruling over an appeal by the partners of Rustavi 2, Levan and Giorgi Karamanishvili, and TV company Sakartvelo, partly satisfying the appeal. The court abolished Davit Dvali’s status as interim owner, but temporarily suspended Sakevarishvili’s status. At the same time, the court restored the status of Nika Gvaramia as Director General and also reinstated other members of the company’s management.
The Karamanishvili brothers and the Sakartvelo company currently own Rustavi 2’s shares, but Tbilisi City Court ruled that 60 percent of the company should be returned to Kibar Khalvashi, a businessman, and 40 percent to Panorama Ltd, a company which also belongs to Khalvashi.
Lawyers of Rustavi 2 plan to continue pursuing their appeal in the Appeals Court and, if necessary, in the Supreme Court.
