Russia's MFA calls international community to condemn "Imedi" for "report" on invasion into Georgia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation has treated the report about simulated Russian invasion into Georgia put on air by the "Imedi" TV Company as irresponsible and immoral. Andrei Nesterenko, official spokesman of the MFA, expressed hope that the international community would duly appraise the incident. A number of western diplomats have already made their damning statements to this end.

Let us remind you that on March 13 the Georgian "Imedi" TV Company broadcast a hoax report starting with an alleged terror act committed in Tskhinvali against head of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity, after which Russian troops attacked and invaded Georgia. Then it was reported that President Mikhail Saakashvili was killed, and part of the opposition had supported the invasion. The programme lasted for half an hour, and after news items about "awful bombardments of Georgian air- and seaports" the TV Company admitted that it was "a special report on a possible scenario of events." Later, the "Imedi" apologized.

Russia's MFA calls international community to appraise hoax of Georgian television

"What 'Imedi' did is irresponsible and immoral first of all for the Georgian society, which was plunged into quite explainable panic," Andrei Nesterenko said today. The MFA's spokesman has noted that "the opinion is popular in Georgia that the 'Imedi' provocation could not be prepared without authorities' sanction."

"By the way, President of Georgia even doesn't hide his encouraging attitude to the scandalous programme; he called its scenario 'very close to reality'," the Russian diplomat has emphasized and expressed hope that international community would duly appraise the incident, the "Interfax" reports.

USA and France condemn "Imedi" journalists

John Baas, US ambassador to Georgia, said in his interview to the Public Television of Georgia that the simulated "Imedi" report "was outside journalistic standards." He has noted that it "didn't promote the country's safety and was irresponsible by its form", the ITAR-TASS reports.

Today, the reaction of the French MFA to events in Georgia became known. Its spokesman treated the "Imedi" report as "a rather strange and absolutely inappropriate initiative," the "Vesti.Ru" reports and adds that France expects that all the persons responsible for the incident will be established. Besides, Paris is worried with the recent facts of pressure on the opposition admitted by the authorities of Georgia.

NATO makes no comments on "Imedi" report

The NATO make no comments on the simulated programme of the Georgian "Imedi" TV Channel about possible "Russian invasion" into Georgia, as reported today by James Appaturay, the Alliance's spokesman. "We give no comments," he said, as the "Georgia Online" reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has already reported that right after the programme hundreds of Tbilisi residents came to the building of the TV Company to hold their protest action and demand of apologize for the hoax. Yesterday, on March 14, a rally took place in central Tbilisi demanding to punish those in charge of the TV incident. The action was attended by about 200 activists of political parties and NGOs.

Patriarch of All Georgia Elias II condemned the report of the "Imedi" TV Channel in his sermon and said that now every Georgian citizen feels offended. According to his version, the Georgian people took the story at its face value, and now, if something of this sort really happens, people will not believe it.

Nino Burdzhanadze, the former speaker of the parliament of Georgia, is going to sue the bosses of the "Imedi" TV Channel. Levan Gachechiladze, the former main contender to Mikhail Saakashvili at the latest presidential election, believes that TV Channel should be punished, for example, by license suspension, while Salome Zurabishvili, ex-minister of foreign affairs and nowadays an oppositional politician, offers to take the license away whatsoever.