Issue no: 1169 • JULY 19 - 22, 2019 • PUBLISHED TWICE WEEKLY PRICE: GEL 2.50 In this week’s issue... FOCUS Georgian Gov’t Offers Help to Tourism Sector after ON RUSTAVI 2 Russian Travel Ban OWNERSHIP NEWS PAGE 2 The ECHR releases its verdict PAGE 2 Sabkultura: Saba’s Subsidiary Brand for Contemporary Generations NEWS PAGE 3 On Some Issues of the History of Georgia POLITICS PAGE 4 What Are Moscow's Preconditions for Abolishing a Ban on Flights with Georgia? POLITICS PAGE 6 Meet Italian Chef Enzo Neri – Restaurateur, Philanthropist, Designer Delegation of Israel Supports Tourism in Georgia TRANSLATED BY KETEVAN KVARATSKHELIYA BUSINESS PAGE 7 ithin the scope of an offi cial invitation from Israeli House, Capacity Building Trainings the members of the Knesset of Israel and Likud Party of on the Topic of WaSH the Prime Minister Netan- Wyahu, along with the representatives of the Israeli SOCIETY PAGE 12 business sector and media, are paying a visit to Georgia. The delegation, comprising 25 delegates, is headed by Davit Bitan, the Leader of the rul- Nenskra Hydro Launches ing coalition of the Knesset. The aim of the visit is to hold business meet- Info Campaign to Promote ings and explore the tourist potential of Georgia on site. There has been an impressive increase Domestic Tourism in Svaneti in the Israeli tourist infl ow in Georgia in recent years. According to offi cial data, in comparison SOCIETY PAGE 13 with the fi rst half of 2018, in 2019 the number of tourists increased by 28.4%. Itsik Moshe, Presi- dent of the Israel-Georgia Chamber of Business Georgia to Host World- and Chair of the Israeli House, states that the number of travelers from Israel might reach Famous Verdi Festival 200,000 this year. Continued on page 8 CULTURE PAGE 15 GEORGIA TODAY 2 NEWS JULY 19 - 22, 2019 ECHR Decides Rustavi 2 Ownership Issue cerned the judge deciding the case at According to the judgment, the Euro- BY GT TEAM fi rst instance; pean Court of Human Rights: Unanimously, that there had been no 1. Declares, unanimously, the second violation of Article 6 § 1 of the European to fourth applicants’ complaints under oday, the European Court Convention as concerned the court Article 6 § 1 concerning the independ- of Human Rights delivered deciding the case on appeal; ence and impartiality of Judges T.U., a verdict in the ownership By six votes to one, that there had N.G. (in so far as the latter’s proximity case of one of Georgia’s been no violation of Article 6 § 1 as to the former judge was concerned), largest TV channels, concerned the composition of the bench M.T. and the President of the Supreme TRustavi 2. deciding the case during the cassation Court admissible and the remainder of According to the Court’s judgment, proceedings before the Supreme Court. the application inadmissible; there were no violations of any Article The Court found in particular that all 2. Decides, unanimously, to discon- of the European Convention on Human but one of the allegations of bias had tinue the application of Rule 39 of the Rights in the case of Rustavi 2, nor were either been unsubstantiated or uncon- Rules of Court; the rights of Rustavi 2 or its owners vincing. 3. Holds, by six votes to one, that there violated in the Georgian courts. Rustavi The involvement of Rustavi 2’s Direc- has been no violation of Article 6 § 1 of 2 has been told it can appeal this in the tor-General in disciplinary proceedings the Convention in so far as the inde- Grand Chamber of Strasbourg. against the President of the Supreme pendence and impartiality of the single- The Strasbourg Court also ceased a Court some years previously, leading to judge composition of Tbilisi City Court temporary measure suspending the her dismissal from her judicial post at (Judge T.U.) was concerned; Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Geor- plaint refers to the relationship between judgment of the Supreme Court of Geor- the time, had raised an arguable claim 4. Holds, unanimously, that there has gia, noting that the verdict of the Court R2 and advertising house Intermedia. gia. Accordingly, the TV company will of a lack of impartiality. However, the been no violation of Article 6 § 1 in so has not yet come to force and the TV According to Kavlashvili, the TV Com- be re-registered to shareholder Kibar Supreme Court had extensively assessed far as the independence and impartial- channel must not be re-registered to pany Rustavi 2 signed a contract with Khalvashi, as was decided by the courts any fears in that regard and had convinc- ity of the bench of Tbilisi Court of Kibar Khalvashi, the former shareholder the advertising house on a fi xed amount of three instances in Georgia. ingly dissipated them in a thoroughly Appeal, which included Judge N.G., was of Rustavi 2 until the completion of all of money, which was not in accordance The applicants were Rustavi 2 Broad- reasoned ruling. In coming to those con- concerned; the relevant procedures. "Such a move with the interests of the channel and casting Company Ltd and its current clusions, the Court bore in mind in par- 5. Holds, by six votes to one, that there will be a violation of the law." this caused fi nancial damage and loss owners, TV Company Sakartvelo Ltd ticular that Rustavi 2’s owners had sys- has been no violation of Article 6 § 1 in Established in 1994, broadcasting com- to the TV Company. Nizharadze's posi- and Levan and Giorgi Karamanishvili, tematically introduced ill-founded recusal so far as the independence and impar- pany Rustavi 2 changed ownership many tion is that Rustavi 2 is accumulating two brothers who are Georgian nation- requests against many different judges tiality of the bench of the Grand Cham- times between 2004 and 2012. money in Intermedia deliberately. als living in Tbilisi. at all three levels of jurisdiction in a ber of the Supreme Court, which included In March 2017, Georgia’s Supreme Rustavi 2's lawyers say that the above- The dispute led to a ruling in March probable attempt to paralyse the admin- the President of the Supreme Court and Court delivered a verdict in favor of its mentioned is untrue and the company 2017 by the Supreme Court of Georgia istration of justice, while Rustavi 2’s Judge M.T., was concerned. former shareholder (2004-2006) Kibar did not see fi nancial damage and loss fi nding that a former owner of Rustavi Director General had made gratuitous Nika Gvaramia, the former CEO of the Khalvashi. while having a business relationship 2 had been coerced into giving up the and virulent attacks in the media against Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2, imme- The European Court of Human Rights with Intermedia. According to them, television channel and that the current the domestic judges involved in examin- diately commented on the ECHR deci- suspended the enforcement of the Geor- such appeal to the Prosecutor's Offi ce owners were not, therefore, bona fi de ing the ownership row and against the sion. gian Supreme Court’s verdict. just two days before the European Court third-party acquirers. Pending those Georgian judiciary in general. “The decision was certainly shocking Prior to the release of the verdict on of Human Rights delivers a verdict in proceedings, Rustavi 2’s corporate assets The Court unanimously rejected as and absolutely unimaginable,” stated Monday, Rustavi 2 was owned by LTD the broadcaster’s ownership issue is “a and all of the owners’ shares in the inadmissible the remaining complaints Gvaramia, outlining that he does not TV Sakartvelo (51%) and businessmen signature of the Georgian Dream gov- company were frozen. In the case before brought by Rustavi 2’s owners as well agree with the verdict of the Strasbourg brothers Levan (22%) and Giorgi (18%) ernment”. the European Court of Human Rights, as those brought by Rustavi 2 (the fi rst Court and has the right to criticize, Karamanishvili. On Monday, businessman Kibar Khal- the current owners of Rustavi 2 alleged applicant) itself, including in particular regardless as to which court it concerns. The remaining 9% of the channel vashi was offi cially registered as the in particular that the judges examining their allegations that the proceedings “It is terrible that the TV channel has belonged to Nino Nizharadze, who this owner of Rustavi 2 TV, the change the ownership row had lacked inde- had been a State-led campaign to silence been given an opportunity to appeal week demanded an investigation into already appearing in the Public Regis- pendence and impartiality. the television channel. Given those only in one case," he said, noting that former Director General Nika Gvara- try data and showing that 60% of Rustavi In today’s Chamber judgment, the inadmissibility findings, the Court he does not question the impartiality mia’s activities. Nizharadze and her 2 broadcasting company is owned by European Court held: decided, unanimously, to lift the interim of the European Court and that the rea- lawyer believe that Gvaramia abused Kibar Khalvashi, while 40% is registered By six votes to one, that there had measure under Rule 39 of its Rules of son for such a decision was surely a his offi cial authority and made decisions to the Company Panorama, which is been no violation of Article 6 § 1 (right Court indicating to the Georgian Gov- misinterpretation of the facts of the which were harmful to the TV Channel. owned by Khalvashi. Gvaramia was soon to a fair trial by an independent and ernment that it should among other case.