ABKHAZIA SHRUGS OFF GEORGIA’S MOVE TO PUNISH TELECOM COMPANIES
Apsnypress
July 16, 2008 Wednesday
Abkhazia
"Everything seems to indicate that the Georgian parliament has nothing
better to do than discuss mythical draft laws." This is how Kristian
Bzhania, the president’s [Sergey Bagapsh] media aide, has commented
on a report by Interfax that the Georgian parliament has voted to
restrict the work of communications companies in Abkhazia.
Bzhania says such a decision is comparable to Tbilisi forbidding
certain media outlets from working in Armenia, Azerbaijan or Turkey.
"It is absolutely clear that no Georgian laws or codes can apply
to the territory of the sovereign republic of Abkhazia," he said,
noting that "it is not up to Tbilisi to decide what foreign media
outlets can work in Abkhaz territory or what programmes of foreign
television or radio companies are broadcast in the republic".
As he put it, "with each passing day we bear witness to more and
more absurd behaviour on the part of the Georgian authorities, who
are ready to ban everything in Abkhazia".
The Georgian parliament approved set of draft amendments into the
administrative code which stipulate large fines for companies illegally
doing business in the broadcast and electronic communications industry
in the territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Interfax reported
that under the amendments, a company illegally doing business in these
territories would at the first stage be assessed a fine in the amount
of 50,000 lari (about 36,000 dollars) while second-time offenders
will have to pay 500,000 lari (about 360,000 dollars). Those who
violate the administrative code a third time will be fined 1m lari
(720,000 dollars).