as if it was a real news event most georgians took it at face value panic ensued in the city's most of the cases that hypertonic crisis and breastpin. why spark hysteria instead of showing real news and who is behind the story to put the whole country in a panic who's to blame for the intimidation of disobedient journalists and what are the means of minimizing opposition in the georgian media. to small villages in the foothills of the caucasus mountains it's saturday march thirteenth two thousand and ten. comes home after a day's work at a vineyard and falls asleep in a room where his father is watching the evening news on the emitting t.v. channel. i was sleeping on that sofa.

when the program began my father was sitting here. my mother and grandmother were watching from there. i woke up because mother was screaming about the start of the war. and i saw father lying on the floor. i can't remember clearly what happened next somebody rushed to the neighbors to ask them for help others were messaging my father when they arrived he was already dead. the ambulance came just fifteen minutes after being called the cause of death according to doctors. induced by a programme on the t.v. channel. when a talk show involving george and political analysts and journalists ended eight pm viewers didn't see usually scheduled the evening news instead they were shown a thirty minute program creating the impression that a war had broken out between russia and georgia the anchor woman on the talk show

had announced that the program would be based on a fictional situation only a minute before it started so anybody who tuned into the program after that warning thought they were watching a regular news bulletin. they were in a few minutes president saakashvili is expected to make a special statement on the situation in the country we don't know if it's going to be recorded all written that it's been reported that the russian troops deployed have been put on the combat. descriptives something straight out of a hollywood action flick the russian tanks approach tbilisi the president's life is in danger meanwhile opposition leaders go to moscow to meet members of the russian government the film bush and. russian agents without mincing words according to the authors of the program the moscow talks are about regime change and dividing georgian territory. human history and about that by eight thirty an

outrage crowd was in front of the building housing the television company. but i guess it's true that when i wanted my leddy change of government it was why haven't they detained the people featured in the script up still saakashvili has to bear in mind that he must produce concrete facts about being otherwise he will demonstrate once again that she's a liar and irresponsible a public a turd god someone of another russian agent agent of the kremlin. the most common epithets for those who disagree with the policies of the georgian government that it's any. journalist. investigations had earned him wide popularity long before me came to power he was the kind of inconvenient journalist who always asked uncomfortable questions regardless of who held the country's reins. the real problems cropped up and came to a head after the so-called rose revolution. that.

there is almost no free press these days when. it constantly. baited by the current. situation couldn't have been imagined that. his last investigation was an attempt to discover real facts concerning the two thousand and eight georgian in conflict to find when to see involved capital of south the said. this is interview with a human rights campaigner. she recounts events of august seventh two thousand and eight nobody seen it besides himself but georgia state controlled media didn't need to watch it to declare it a provocation on august the seventh georgia's president mikheil saakashvili spoke of bringing it to talks in any form and. that he addressed the

people of self the same. to say you had all did say you knew the truth ceasefire. he said. to any provocation. and he is sure to say they could go to bed in peace he spites but. i on the night of august the eight large caliber guns fired on scene vall from the georgian side. the military. operation sec is really referred to as the enforcement of constitutional order in the territory of. yes i will cop to face something really terrible. there was a deafening noise everything was shaking. and women in the streets crying. as if we had launched into. after the will cain explosion.

the independent journalist work in a city it was seen by many in georgia as a betrayal of his country. i know of no journalist i wouldn't want to go to. to get the facts but all of the state media summed up my work as high treason nobody knows what sort of film it will be nobody knows what materials the government's reaction is a kind of attempt at self defense realizes that many facts exist and that it's better for them these are exposed by a discredited journalist as a traitor. during this work on the film after his return from south. interview with european human rights activists in geneva. departure there he received hints to the effect that he'd better stay in geneva as long as his large

family wanted to stay in georgia who. have problems after my return from so. i don't wish to talk about it because whatever i say may hinder the investigation. i can only say that there were. but i won't say what those threats are because they are humiliating. first investigations appeared on the television channel the channel played a key role in the rose revolution which. president mikheil saakashvili to power. georgian people are not. independent. truly independent media outlets. but they reduce revolution in them but two thousand and three. to their independence. we couldn't imagine a situation without independent business. stovey to made its debut in

one thousand nine hundred four as a small studio in a private apartment ten years later it was already a popular modern channel as soon as he came to power he tried to bring its editorial policy under his control. journalists were denied accreditation and there were telephone calls to the channel's executives now there were also attempts to buy up stock through figureheads. the media mogul who founded to seed the channel to the president of his own accord. in two thousand and four when the state was taking its first steps it was assumed that the new system of government was still weak. so it was thought the state should be the top priority and the rest would take care of itself. but as it turned out the aim was to take control of the channels i'm to blame for giving away so i didn't want to rock the boat but you know. that boat is still on an even keel but freedom of speech is

not. really is the editor of a small district newspaper in the town of. incurious reports about corruption among members of the district's administration one of their more high profile articles reveals instances of misuse of humanitarian aid to refugees. local authorities don't want to accept the existence of an independent newspaper even though its circulation is a mere five hundred copies. in the country. into the building of the local administration yesterday i needed to fishel information on some remittance from gori to tbilisi the guards kicked me downstairs and pushed me against the wall did anyone see that yes indeed later i called the police. that i had fallen to the girl and some of the officials there said it serves me right that's what they said in front of ordinary visitors. first met in two thousand and five when the

authorities openly threaten a journalist for the first time someone who lives in a small village eight kilometers from border he goes to work by suburban train once you notice that he was being fall. under mode while they chased me in the streets for two days on the third day as i came down the staircase and surrounded me opus the one who was standing right in front of me it's me on my head on another hill. i fell to the ground and covered my head with my hand and they had me again and again my face was covered with blood almost within my body was aching to give notice. despite the injuries i did not to give up editorial policy remained unchanged.

which brightened. from finest impressions. whose flames don't totty don't come. november two thousand and seven thousands of people hold daily rallies in tbilisi a protest against the policies of the georgian government and president mikhail saakashvili. on november seventh authorities used tear gas and water cannon against demonstrators i did then independent t.v.

channel and maybe as closely followed events for the past week. journalists go on air with the latest reports from the most unexpected places condiments of just as you can see behind my back of the right now at this very moment the special forces troops head into the same trinity cathedral i'm going to assume this would be the last day of immunities independence special forces troops broke into a mini studios during a live broadcast. by closing the channels equal to all the government is violating the constitution this means that this is a dictatorship regime misnomers english waters here they are coming into the studio i want to say thank you i hear shots in the control room over truth and i hope our employees will be injured here our guests. that's a good idea if journalism because of problems created by saakashvili because our

t.v. channel had been shut down opens we're going to go after all he made he has restored broadcasting my friends and i had remained faithful to our decision and i together with joy to to get. many of the journalists have left the channel some of them came back to the profession later on to the former music t.v. channel maestro for many years there were no politics on this channel just music videos. founded maestro in one thousand nine hundred four he would never have imagined that in fifteen years he'd be replacing d.j.'s with political commentators . have a very high standard. maybe. we should do something about. simply couldn't. we wanted a new company to step in to become a broadcaster. normally

a license for so-called political broadcasting is issued within three weeks and they were denied it for nearly six months on our guests had no right to discuss anything besides films music and theater. the only word for it. but the sound was provided by radio. people wishing to see our talk shows had to switch on the television radio sets at the same time. maestros ingenuity is the envy of other television stations although the my search channel is only available in some districts of tbilisi and on the internet its popularity in the country grows with each passing month this media underdog attracts people's attention with its smart in an orthodox techniques . very difficult to live in one room twenty four hours a day filming your every move. is very different. to some hard thinking

project. he's confined to a small studio. and. cage to the stadium where he played

a concert. ah. independent. public defender. in that role he submitted many. being threatened. to the parliament. after they refused to extend.

for a time. gave up his journalism career and worked as an assistant public defender. but he couldn't stay away from his chosen profession for long. very close relationship after. his investigations. were interesting. didn't. they covered political scandals. one of. his most sensational films examines the mysterious death of former prime minister. george and he was such

a. political influence kept limits on the real power of president saakashvili. two thousand and five the prime minister. under oath. as the georgian government said. inconvenient and suspicious facts that question the official version saying he died of gas poisoning. the case is still relevant. the question was about the. government has still failed to answer. in his film. collected and explained the many discrepancies in the case he set out the facts and ask questions without trying to draw conclusions.

of the. intimidation and continued his investigation. at last the government had forced the journalist to flee the country telling us swiss authorities to grant him political asylum. says he was among those demonstrating in front of the swiss embassy in tbilisi in support of. holding is a very good illustration of the situation in the country now with the freedom of speech is being ousted from the country as the poster reads freedom of speech is. the independent media depends on advertising for survival there's no advertising there's no revenue in this case of publication either each out its existence or shuts down altogether. advertisers are scared i mean local georgian advertisers and. they will always come under pressure from taxes. if they put up advertisements

in defiance of. tax inspectors sales. and so on and so forth. the holding company that publishes the georgian times weekly. only because of other activities its top executives really was branded as a kremlin agent a long time ago for his attempts to establish a dialogue with the russian intellectual elite. set up is appropriately called the russo georgian commission for dialogue when he was on a visit to russia in two thousand and nine he attempted to invite several well known russian journalists to come to georgia. we didn't. we realize as a player but we would have to answer some very tough questions. to at least establish some direct. georgian counterparts. to

find some great truth. of the three journalists invited by mouth. only one was allowed to cross the border maxime should change and his colleague had to stay in the tbilisi airport an hour before their arrival president mikheil saakashvili had sent special forces to the airport with the aim of detaining the two journalists the troops cordoned off the building and took up positions outside the exit to passport control the conflict was resolved by relatively peaceful means the unwelcome journalists were denied visas and sent back to russia as fast as possible. but. i felt very deeply insulted people here know that a georgian holds in high esteem by never been so insulted by. the time will come when the people who. will be punished accordingly. the

second patriarch of georgia expected to meet with the three russian journalists in his residence on the day of their arrival but he saw only one of them during the meeting the patriarch made it clear that he sincerely regret it the incident. i wish to give gifts. at the airport now. is a move the patriarch of the georgian church is very guarded in his statements he made no public comment on the incident at the airport but when he made he showed the shocking program simulating a war between russia and georgia he hardly minced his words in expressing his frustration. we do not welcome such programs this is humiliating to individuals in the nation as a whole. country much as the. spread in georgia we take first

place the. part of the army to join the enemy. this is an insult to our army. there's tremendous guilt people. move through. the program should be made. property is the control. program is one of the signs of that. control intimidation or unemployment. case in point staying in a shelter for refugees in switzerland he's unable to complete his film about the georgian conflict and. i'm worried not so much for my own sake as for my family georgian government has shown that they can kill.

his wife and children to receive visas enjoined from abroad he's warned them not to meet with journalists and to keep off the streets as much as possible he gets most of the news about his family and his country through close friends. tell me what you want to take care of your immigration problems. visit you in october. chances are i myself might come back before october if the government changes. the government. well yes why not it's cost. us telling is still working on the script of a new film nobody's seen it yet but he's already scared the georgian government back. as an investigative journalist he's confident that some day he will be able to finish his work to take his findings back home to his native country.

hungry for the full story we've got it first hand the biggest issues get a human voice face to face with the news makers. it.

after days of being unveiled in a curtain of heavy small forecasts offered no relief for moscow as wildfires out of control the across central russia. i'm going to check on i'll be with you in just a few moments with the latest on fires in the moscow region and the rest of russia . two years on the south and so here mourns the victims of georgia's offensive killed by a devastating all tillery bar on sleeping republic. and police by any

other name the russian president proposes a law enforcers ditch the revolutionary road titled militia to appear more professional. live from moscow this is a very warm welcome. while the thick blanket of harmful small caused by raging wildfires shows no sign of lifting from across the russian capital forest and peat blazes continue to devastate large swaths of central russia with a record breaking heat wave forecast to go on until at least next week. and is in the moscow region for us. not so many changes to really talk about the same disastrous scene in moscow is covered with the blanket of toxic acrid smog and hear this very small village just outside the city it caught fire just

a few days ago its residents as well as some three hundred others in the moscow region have lost their homes and the city itself melian is are now choking smoke which is carrying some very harmful gases including carbon monoxide is consistency in the air it's warmed by five times it's especially hard in those who don't have air conditioners people escape in malls in offices elderly people suffer most most of them are just trapped in this varies as suffocating environment doctors are saying that it was spending around three hours outdoors is equal to smoking two packs of cigarettes a night is really shocking and you literally feel that it makes you feel a bit nauseous as well well no doubt russia is now suffering from the worst heat wave on record the heat wave it's hard for us than peat fires across the central and western regions of the country the fires have killed at least fifty people in the past week the temperatures for weeks have soared as high as thirty eight.