20:22, 9 June 2004

Georgian journalists not allowed to enter South Osetia

South Osetian authorities did not let Georgian journalists enter the territory of the breakaway republic on June 8. It happened when the Georgian health minister was making his way there while going around local villages. Osetian peacekeepers stopped the escort at a post and demanded that the journalists leave the territory of South Osetia. They did not give any intelligible explanations, which is usual for such situations. In the upshot, the journalists of Rustavi 2 TV Company managed only to shot an interview with the minister, and then they had to leave South Osetia.

A similar situation took place during Georgian-Osetian talks a week ago. The Osetian side demanded that Georgian journalists leave the territory of South Osetia right after they had shot the first minutes of the talks.

Author: Tengiz Ablotiya, expert of the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations

Source: Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (Moscow)