Georgian oppositionists treat Tsereteli's case as part of campaign against "Pirveli"

The case of Avtandil Tsereteli has become another link in the chain of authorities' attempts to eliminate rivals at the upcoming parliamentary elections, the Georgian oppositionists assert.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 6, the prosecutor's office demanded from Vakhtang Tsereteli, the owner of the "Pirveli" TV Company, to appear for questioning within the case of money legalization by the TBC Bank. Authorities want to put pressure on the independent TV channel, Mr Tsereteli has stated.

Roman Gotsiridze, the chairman of the parliamentary faction of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, is confident that prior to the 2020 parliamentary elections, Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling "Georgian Dream-Democratic Movement" Party, is "trying to retain power by all means."

According to Mr Gotsiridze, at previous elections, authorities achieved their desired results by other methods that will not work at the upcoming ones – by repression and bribing voters.

"If critical media are closed, the population's discontent will begin accumulating, like steam in a pot; and then an explosion will follow. Georgia has already lived through it," said Giorgi Akhvlediani, one of the leaders of the "Democratic Movement-United Georgia" Party.

The authorities want to see the editorial policy of TV companies less critical and less acutely reacting to country's problems, Zaal Andjaparidze, the programme coordinator of the International Centre for Conflict and Negotiation, has stated.