On September 30, 2019, a group of employees at Adjara Public Broadcaster announced [1] that their media outlet was facing the danger of changing its editorial policy due to the recent developments and particularly the Batumi City Court ruling to suspend the competition for the position of the broadcaster’s director.

The latest events unfolding around the Adjara Public Broadcaster raise numerous questions and pose a risk to the channel's editorial independence. Importantly, the NGO sector highlighted the impending danger following soon after Adjara TV Director Natia Kapanadze’s impeachment was initiated.

A number of international and local authoritative organizations have ranked Adjara TV and Radio as an impartial media outlet operating in a highly polarized media environment. We consider that interference in the broadcaster’s editorial independence and changing its editorial policy will cause considerable harm to the independence of the Georgian media and hamper the country’s democratic development. It is important to ensure that journalists enjoy editorial independence and have the opportunity to make independent editorial decisions guided by their own conscience.

We support the journalists in their demand to retain their editorial independence and continue to keep a close watch on the processes developing around Adjara TV and Radio.

Georgian Young Lawyers Association

Transparency International Georgia

Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics

Journalism Resource Center

Alliance of Broadcasters - Georgia

Open Society Georgia Foundation

International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy

Green Alternative

Media Development Foundation

Georgia’s Democratic Initiative