Giorgi Gabunia

Affiliated media: Mtavari Arkhi TV channel, Host

Incident date: July 13, 2022

Attack type:

• Wiretapping / surveillance without a court decree

Who attacked: Non-authorities

Source: Ekho Kavkaza

Location: Georgia, Tbilisi

Additional information:

Host and singer Gia Gachechiladze, known under the pseudonym of Utsnobi, on July 13, in the broadcast of Maestro and Imedi TV channels, presented a recording which, according to him, reflects the work process of Mtavari collective. According to the News Georgia news agency, the recording features the voices of Giorgi Gabunia, producer Eka Saria, and journalists Giorgi Gvishiani and Lasha Kveseladze. All of them have already confirmed the authenticity of the recording. «The Coalition for Media Advocacy believes that the Special Investigation Service should immediately launch an investigation under Article 158 of the Criminal Code (violation of the secrecy of private communication)», — the coalition said in a statement. According to human rights activists, the fact that the recording was made public on pro-government TV channels «reinforces the suspicion» that it was made by the Georgian State Security Service.