23 October 2009, 23:00
Russia considers applications on political asylum from two Georgian journalists
The Department for Information and Press of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that it would consider the requests of two Georgian journalists on granting political asylum to them with account of the situation with the freedom of mass media in Georgia.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in October Badri Afanasiev, former producer of the "Imedi" TV Company, addressed Russian authorities for political asylum; and last month in was done by Levan Gudadze, founder of the Information Agency "ITNexclusive".
"Both applications will be thoroughly considered. The Russian legislation appoints up to three months for the procedure," said the MFA's Department.
The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry has noted that "similar cases don't look unexpected at the background of what we know about the antidemocratic character of the regime ruling in Georgia and, in particular, about serious problems with the freedom of mass media, the symbol of which today is the destruction by the authorities of the oppositional TV Company "Imedi".
