GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES FIRST STEP TO ALLOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L TBILISI 003011

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR DAS BRYZA AND EUR/CARC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES FIRST STEP TO ALLOW
IMEDI TO BROADCAST AGAIN

REF: TBILISI 2777

Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Burjanadze Calls on Courts to Allow Imedi to Open
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1. (U) In a December 3 press conference, Acting President
Nino Burjanadze instructed the Prosecutor General to ask the
Tbilisi City Court to unfreeze the assets of Imedi TV.
Burjanadze said she hoped the legal process would be
finalized in two days, and that Imedi employees would be able
to enter the station by December 5 and prepare to begin
broadcasting. Formal campaigning by presidential candidates
is to begin that day. Burjanadze said negotiations with
Imedi and News Corp are continuing and that Georgian
authorities expect a response by December 7 to conditions
laid down by the government to allow the station to begin
broadcasting. (Note: As far as we know, the response
prepared by News Corp to Georgian proposals and shared with
the USG has not been delivered to PM Gurgenidze.) Burjanadze
added that progress to reopening the station could be speeded
up if "there is a readiness from Imedi's side." The
government anticipates Imedi will need time to prepare the
station and repair damage done during the initial November 7
closure before broadcasting can begin (reftel). Burjanadze
addressed the general media environment in Georgia and said
the press needs to cover all events adequately, objectively
and transparently, follow ethical and professional standards
in order to assist in carrying out elections democratically,
and provide each presidential candidate equal broadcast time.
In her press conference, Burjanadze insisted that opposition
predictions of an unfair election are unfounded and called on
law enforcement to ensure stability and react to cases of
violence appropriately.


2. (C) Polish media omsbudman Adam Michnik and EU Special
Representative to the South Caucasus Peter Semneby held
meetings with Georgian government officials, including PM
Lado Gurgenidze, Acting President Nino Burjanadze, and
presidential candidate Mikheil Saakashvili, between December
1-2. Michnik told the Ambassador on December 2 the Georgians
had made the fundamental decision to reopen Imedi television
but did not provide an exact date for broadcasts to begin.
EU representatives told the Ambassador the government had
seemed to make its decision independently of News Corp.
Gurgenidze had raised issues over "pinning down" the
ownership of Imedi as part of the agreement to restart
broadcasts, but Michnik bluntly told the PM it was more
important to open the channel and "work out the business
deals later."


3. (C) Michnik told Ambassador he intends to create an
Advisory council to monitor the media during the election
campaign, separate from the Media Council created by the
Georgian press and government. Michnik refused an offer by
the GOG to provide him with names of individuals to serve on
the council. Michnik intends to chose for himself
journalists and academics from among those he knows. His
council will monitor the press and issue a weekly statement
to point out problems and violations of European media norms.
There are still a lot of details to be worked out, but
Michnik told EUR Assistant Secretary Fried via telephone that
he is "cautiously optimistic." Michnik left for Poland
December 2 but plans to return for the reopening of Imedi.
TEFFT