Friends and supporters of comedian Onise Okriashvili say they are deeply concerned for his safety. According to them, for more than a week, pro-government media have not only been inciting attacks on Okriashvili, but are effectively giving a direct signal for them to take place.
The statement was read outside the building of the Georgian Public Broadcaster. Its authors claim that the television channel provides one-sided coverage of the situation, granting airtime exclusively to those who justify the attacker.
“A week ago, a targeted smear campaign was launched against citizen Onise Okriashvili. Pro-government television channels Imedi, POSTV, and Rustavi 2 launched this campaign in a coordinated manner.
Two days ago, Onise was subjected to a group attack. The attacker is publicly supported by MP Dito Samkharadze, who himself has repeatedly been involved in incidents linked to physical violence. MP Irakli Zarkua told a journalist that ‘sometimes the police will not be able to protect you.’ This is a direct signal to individuals prone to violence and a public incitement to new attacks.
We want to state clearly that this is a crime, the responsibility for which lies with pro-government television channels and individuals inciting violence. Propaganda media continue to circulate edited video clips, while the Public Broadcaster, outside whose building we are currently standing, covers the incident exclusively from one side. Airtime has been granted entirely to the attacker, his friends, lawyers, and representatives of Georgian Dream, whereas Onise’s position has not been presented at all.
In a country enduring numerous tragedies, the authorities have focused on fanning hatred against a single individual. This time, the declared enemy is not a party, an organization, or a group of people, but a single citizen. We sense a real threat. For over a week now, pro-government media have not simply been inciting an attack on Onise Okriashvili, but are effectively ordering it. If anything happens to Onise or his loved ones, the responsibility will once again rest on those who organize this campaign, cover up for the aggressors, and endorse their actions.
We appeal to society, the media, and politicians to demonstrate common sense and do everything possible to prevent further violence against Onise and those close to him. We address the Georgian Dream party: we have said it before and will say it again — we will not forgive terror, we will not stop, and we will not remain silent,” declared participants in the rally.
As a reminder, comedian Onise Okriashvili was attacked several days ago. He later stated that the beating was triggered by events surrounding his comments about writer Nodar Dumbadze. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has detained one person in connection with the attack.
Earlier, Okriashvili made remarks about Nodar Dumbadze during a podcast, which certain groups considered offensive. The comedian later stated that the video clip being circulated had been taken out of context and that he had not insulted the writer, but was merely portraying a hypothetical, absurd character who allegedly hated Nodar Dumbadze.