On May 26 the Tbiisi City Court partially satisfied the lawsuit by May 26 victim journalists.  Netgazeti journalist Tazo Kupreishvili will receive GEL 30 health damage compensation.  Kupreishvili is satisfied with the Court verdict. 

“The amount is quite symbolic, but in this case it is not important.  Important is that many of those who doubted now know that on the night of May 26 journalists have really faced loss and have not exaggerated the events and have not followed our emotions.  We did not lie about physical abuse and material loss,” Kupreishvili told media.ge. 

According to him, the amount of compensation is far not enough for the stress he has gone through on May 26.  Tazo could not even work for several weeks.  For him the given Court verdict is an example that there is always sense in fighting. 

“You will always prove you are right if you fight to the end.  Of course it would have been better if they allowed us to work and to show the footage we’ve made to the public.  Naturally that would have been more valuable for us than the money we are going to get. 

The given Court verdict will show the MIA also that they should not cause loss to the budget for nothing.  It would be advisable for the MIA authorities to warn their employees never to interfere with journalistic work,” Kupreishvili stressed. 

He and other journalists wanted launching of a criminal case in relation to the loss faced on May 26 and turned in an appeal to the Prosecutor’s Office, but the Prosecutor’s Office did not respond.  Interior Ministry just announced that 14 policemen have been dismissed, demoted, or warned due to May 26 events.  The MIA did not give the names of the concerned policemen. 

“There are many questions remaining to the MIA.  For example I want to know who and how adequately has been punished for beating me,” Netgazeti journalist told Media.ge.