Through “60 Minutes” the Criminal Underworld Has Started a War Against the Judicial System
Tbilisi-based state-owned daily newspaper
Sakartvelos Respublika (The Republic Of Georgia)
Number 63, Monday, March 10, 2003
The broadcasting company “Rustavi 2” recently started a new campaign of defamation and disinformation against the judiciary system. Systematic and unfounded accusations against the judicial system have taken a form of vivid blackmailing and pressure on the courts. These broadcasts shielded with the principles of the freedom of speech have become a tool of fulfilling ambitions and interests in the hands of specific persons. Moreover, each segment of the program, each comment and each analysis is derived of qualified, professional and legal assessment. Speculations and legal expertise of “law specialists” who are unknown to the public and do not even correspond to the level of a beginner in the field.
At the same time, we possess information about the criminal past of some of the members of this television program and their relatives. Given this, one can easily understand why are these journalists are trying to portray persons, accused by the judicial system of committing crimes, as innocent, – by doing so, these journalists are merely trying to rehabilitate their own past.
It can be said that through “60 Minutes” the criminal underworld has started a war against the judicial system. We base this assertion on the fact that “60 Minutes” portrays persons – Kereselidze, Kobalia, Barbakadze and other, accused and sentenced for committing serious crimes, as innocent people and tries to deceive the public.
We would like to declare: the public should be certain that it has a judicial system that will never compromise justice for the fear of broadcasts like these.
Because the television company “Rustavi 2” deprived the judicial system of the opportunity to provide public with objective information, we are obliged to assure the public that putting pressure on the judicial system, as well as the goal of this television program, will never be fulfilled; we will always assess it as the only way for the people with the criminal past to express their aggression.
The latest broadcast of the “60 Minutes” expressed with special phrasing the idea that the Supreme Court opposes “60 Minutes.” We would like to declare publicly that the Supreme Court only carries out justice and never participates in any political or other ambitious confrontations. Thereby, we will not let the authors of this television program put their incompetence on the same level as the qualification of the Supreme Court by artificially creating a confrontation.
Proceeding from all the abovementioned, we would like to inform the public of the following:
- The Supreme Court of Georgia addresses the Prosecutor General Office of Georgia to check the broadcasts of “60 Minutes” with the goal of deciding whether or not they consist of signs of crime against the judiciary power and if so, to take the necessary steps.
- We ask non-governmental organizations who truly abide to democratic values and the principles of a democratic state to support the independence of the court as the guarantor of independence of each of us, as well as society as a whole. We ask them to not to let anyone totally destroy this true achievement of independence by creating distrust towards the court, because otherwise we will become a state controlled by rumors and intrigues.
- We also call on all lawyers to keep objectivity and fairness, and confront the fear of hidden cameras and blackmailing and make decisions only based on laws, – not under the pressure from certain persons. We assure all of you that the Supreme Court will defend your image and reputation. We will not leave any attempt to put pressure on lawyers without reaction, as well as legal violation from the side of lawyers.
The Press-Office of the Supreme Court