Here is the complete version of Vakhtang Komakhidze’s statement:
“I, journalist Vakhtang Komakhidze, request political asylum from democratic state because today in Georgia my professional activities are restricted and freedom, health and lives of my family members and mine are in danger.
“This grave decision was caused by direct, aggressive threat of the government who unilaterally threatened me with the death of my family members if I continue my professional activities.
The threat followed my visit in Tskhinvali together with Paata Zakareishvili and Manana Mebuke where I gained serious materials about the war in August, 2008. The oppression started by the campaign launched by governmental-controlled national TV-Companies and later certain people met me in the streets and they threatened me in the name of the government. They persecuted and watched me all the time and on my departure day to Geneva, at 4:00 am almost complete personnel of the Constitutional Security Department saw me to the airport. Since the fact of persecution will be investigated, I would rather not speak about more details at this stage.
The reason of threats – the documentary movie I work on – is about the issues related with Tskhinvali region and I think information I have collected is very interesting for Georgian society. I do not know which concrete information was most painful for our government; for example, two days before the war, on August 6, state minister of Georgia agreed the de-facto authority of Tskhinvali region the evacuations issues of grandmother of Alana Gagloeva, an employee of the president’s press-service. However, on that time, the government left Georgian population in the hands of Russian army completely unprotected. Or some other information I have might have made the government aggressive about me. Seeking asylum was the only guarantee to finish working on the film and the society will definitely see it.
And finally, since I know what our governmental officials can do I had to seek asylum and create the only guarantee for the security of my family members. Besides that, with the help of modern communication possibilities I will do my best to turn Georgia into the country from where nobody will flee.”
Vakhtang Komakhidze is investigative journalist and founder of the studio Reporter and member of the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders. In December of 2009 he visited Tskhinvali together with conflict scientist Paata Zakareishvili and chairwoman of the Union of Wives of Invalids and Lost-Warriors Manan Mebuke. There they met representatives of the de-facto government and families of the lost-warriors during the war in August, 2008. Vakhtang Komakhidze remained in Tskhinvali to work on the investigative film and returned to Tbilisi several hours later.
“Komakhidze remained in Tskhinvali to see the town by day-time; to film the situation and ongoing constructions there. Komakhidze will return to Tbilisi today and he will use those recordings for his documentary film,” reported Manana Mebuke to the news agency “Pirveli” when she returned to Tbilisi.
Meanwhile, TV-channels controlled by the government prepared several aggressive TV-items about non-governmental organizations and human rights defenders; their campaign was particularly aggressive towards Zakareishvili, Komakhidze and Mebuke because of their visit in Tskhinvali. Regarding the fact, on January 15, 2010 non-governmental organizations spread special appeal. http://humanrights.ge/index.php?a=article&id=4561&lang=en
“The smear campaign, examples of which were cited above, jeopardizes the work of human rights defenders in the country in general and in relation to vulnerable groups, such as IDPs, minorities, etc. in particular.
Moreover, media reports in question promote intolerance and hostility and undermine the possibilities of seeking justice and peace in the aftermath of the Russia-Georgia 2008, which led to grave and widespread human rights violations.
Absence of an independent nation-wide TV channel effectively deprives defenders and NGOs the possibility to reach out to the general public and bring their own message to them in response of the voiced accusations; thus such a campaign has a particularly destructive effect of the reputation of NGOs and defenders in Georgia.”
