Tbilisi: Four Georgian TV channels have suspended operations for 24 hours, demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili after opponents of the LGBT community beat journalists covering the July 5 Pride Parade in Tbilisi, including TV Pirveli cameraman Aleksandre (Lekso) Lashkarava who later died.
The TV channels, demanding the authorities to punish all abusers, are — TV Pirveli, Mtavari Arkhi, Formula News and Kavkasia. They are broadcasting on Wednesday a list of 53 journalists and cameramen who became victims of the July 5 riots in Tbilisi on a black background.
TV Pirveli announced on Sunday Lashkarava’s death, which caused a new wave of protests outside across the Caucasian nation, with the anti-government rallies continuing on Monday. The protesters believe that Garibashvili encouraged violence against the Pride Parade by saying on July 5 that he considered the rally's holding inappropriate.
On Monday, the Georgian interior ministry said that the cameraman's death could have been provoked by drug overdose, as samples from the corpse contained codeine, tetrahydrocannabinol, gabapentin, morphine. The ministry also published a CCTV video that shows Lashkarava returning home, supposedly intoxicated. (UNI)