The US Ambassador reminded that cases of illegal surveillance in Georgia have not yet been investigated
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan reminded that Georgia has not yet investigated cases of wiretapping not only of journalists, but also of diplomats.
The Ambassador answered the journalists' question, what she thinks about the distribution of the audio recording , which may indicate illegal surveillance of journalists of the opposition TV company «Mtavari».
Degnan said she considered it «a reminder of why we are so concerned about reports of wiretapping not only of journalists but of others in Georgia».
The US Ambassador noted that the embassy called on parliament to postpone the approval of the latest wiretapping law due to its « inconsistency with best practices and EU legislation».
Degnan recalled that the embassy still requires a full investigation of the recordings released in the fall, which concerned the wiretapping of the Georgian Orthodox Church, diplomats and other people.
«I think this remains a concern for all of us who strive for a free and open society in Georgia where people don't have to worry about wiretapping, as it happens in some neighboring countries», — said Kelly Degnan.
The Ambassador emphasized that freedom of the media is important for the US and it should be a priority for any democracy.
Degnan said that she recently met with representatives of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics and assessed the conversation as « a very sobering overview of the pressures that journalists face in Georgia, including attacks and harassment ».
«The only way for the citizens of Georgia to get accurate news, is for journalists to go out and cover the news without being attacked, harassed or intimidated», — The US Ambassador stressed.
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The US Ambassador reminded that cases of illegal surveillance in Georgia have not yet been investigated
US Ambassador Kelly Degnan reminded that Georgia has not yet investigated cases of wiretapping not only of journalists, but also of diplomats.
The Ambassador answered the journalists' question, what she thinks about the distribution of the audio recording , which may indicate illegal surveillance of journalists of the opposition TV company «Mtavari».
Degnan said she considered it «a reminder of why we are so concerned about reports of wiretapping not only of journalists but of others in Georgia».
The US Ambassador noted that the embassy called on parliament to postpone the approval of the latest wiretapping law due to its « inconsistency with best practices and EU legislation».
Degnan recalled that the embassy still requires a full investigation of the recordings released in the fall, which concerned the wiretapping of the Georgian Orthodox Church, diplomats and other people.
«I think this remains a concern for all of us who strive for a free and open society in Georgia where people don't have to worry about wiretapping, as it happens in some neighboring countries», — said Kelly Degnan.
The Ambassador emphasized that freedom of the media is important for the US and it should be a priority for any democracy.
Degnan said that she recently met with representatives of the Charter of Journalistic Ethics and assessed the conversation as « a very sobering overview of the pressures that journalists face in Georgia, including attacks and harassment ».
«The only way for the citizens of Georgia to get accurate news, is for journalists to go out and cover the news without being attacked, harassed or intimidated», — The US Ambassador stressed.
newsgeorgia.ge
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