Georgian human rights activists estimate Ramishvili's detention as a pressure upon free mass media

Shalva Ramishvili, journalist of an independent Georgian TV company "Maestro", and the company's cameraman were detained in Kvareli district of Eastern Georgia, in the territory of a vineyard belonging to Mikhail Saakashvili. The Georgian human rights activists estimated the journalists' detention as a pressure upon free mass media and demand investigation on the incident. 

The journalists were detained by personnel of law enforcement bodies at the very moment of shooting. Later Ramishvili himself said that shooting the vineyard was meant for a next airplay of the program "Without Accreditation". 

"They took our techniques away and put us into a car. After they drove two kilometers away they put us off and returned us our techniques two hours later but without two chips and a microphone", Ramishvili said later. According to him, the film crew was detained by representatives of Kakhetian regional police and police guard.  

They were kept in custody several hours, "Georgia Today" reports.

"The actions of the police personnel are a penal crime and are qualified as an obstacle to the journalists' professional activities… The police personnel who did not specify their names or job positions violated the law "On Police". They put particular political tasks they received on the phone above the law, "Georgia Online" quotes a report of a civil movement "Solidarity will Illegally Imprisoned".

"We demand to start investigation concerning particular persons who can be clearly seen on the video records and return confiscated materials to the journalist", the report runs. 

Such organizations as "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights", "Informational and Documentation Center of Legal Protection", "Law for People", Charitable Foundation of aid to political prisoners, Association "Justice and Freedom", "Association for Protection of Civil and Political Rights", "People's Defender" and youth movement "Ara"("No") joined the above mentioned statement, IA "Novosti Georgia" reports.

Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that Shalva Ramishvili was a founder of "202" TV channel where he once hosted a political talk-show. In 2006 the journalist was convicted for accusation of blackmail and extortion of money from Koba Bekauri, deputy of the Georgian Parliament. However, Rimishvili neither acknowledged himself guilty nor asked for mercy.

In 2009 he served his penalty and was released.