Chegemskaya Pravda
Encyclopedia
Chegemskaya Pravda is an independent Russian-language
weekly newspaper
in Abkhazia
. It was founded on 18 June 2004 by Inal Khashig. It currently has a circulation
of 1100 and its price is 10 ruble
.
, reported that on 6 February, while at the embankment in Sukhumi
, Khashig had been invited into a car containing David Bagapsh, a nephew of Sergei Bagapsh
and head of his presidential guard, Kondrat Samsonia, General Director of A-Mobile and deputy of the Sukhumi Municipal Assembly and Adgur Tarba, head of the Municipal Advertising Agency. According to the story, Khashig was then driven to a sub-urban wasteland where he was threatened the same fate as Dmitry Kholodov
and Anna Politkovskaya
lest he change the tone of his publications. The direct motivation for the threat was said to be the critical article Беспрограммная любовь (Love without programme) published on 3 February in Chegemskaya Pravda about the congress of United Abkhazia
held on 27 January.
called upon all political actors to settle disputes within the law only. On 19 February, Khashig's original article was republished by the Russian news agency REGNUM
.
Presidential spokesman Kristian Bzhania denied the involvement of people from the president's entourage in the incident, and he said that he had spoken with Inal Khashig on the telephone and the latter had not mentioned the purported events. He also hinted that the conversation between Khashig and the three men had taken place in a waterfront cafe.
Khashig stated that he had not responded to the reports earlier as he did not want to exacerbate an already dramatic situation, and that he was forced to change his mind when the story grew out of proportion. He thanked people for coming to his defence, but stressed that he did not want to be seen as a martyr or a sacrificial lamb. He also wished for the three involved men not to be regarded as crooks. According to Khashig, the principal lesson of the episode was that a journalist is free to raise any sensitive issue, and that those who feel hurt should challenge the journalist through legal channels only.
in mind. This was denied by Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab
, who argued that Alasharbaga was a private business, and by Presidential Spokesman Kristian Bzhania, who pointed out that the newspaper had been warned in advance by its printing house and that Alasharbaga had not stopped publishing the larger government-critical newspaper Ekho Abkhazii.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
weekly newspaper
Weekly newspaper
A weekly newspaper is a general-news publication that is published on newsprint once or twice a week.Such newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and are usually based in less-populous communities or small, defined areas within large cities; often, they may cover a...
in Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
. It was founded on 18 June 2004 by Inal Khashig. It currently has a circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
of 1100 and its price is 10 ruble
Ruble
The ruble or rouble is a unit of currency. Currently, the currency units of Belarus, Russia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria, and, in the past, the currency units of several other countries, notably countries influenced by Russia and the Soviet Union, are named rubles, though they all are...
.
Initial reports
In February 2009 Inal Khashig was the centre of a controversy when several media, among which Caucasian Knot and Abaza TVAbaza TV
Abaza TV is a television station operating in Abkhazia. It is owned by businessman and politician Beslan Butba. It claims to have an independent editorial policy that is not aligned with either the government or the opposition of Abkhazia. The station broadcasts twice a day in Russian and has a...
, reported that on 6 February, while at the embankment in Sukhumi
Sukhumi
Sukhumi is the capital of Abkhazia, a disputed region on the Black Sea coast. The city suffered heavily during the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict in the early 1990s.-Naming:...
, Khashig had been invited into a car containing David Bagapsh, a nephew of Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Bagapsh
Sergei Uasyl-ipa Bagapsh was the second President of the Republic of Abkhazia. He was Prime Minister from 1997 to 1999 and was later elected as President in 2005. He was re-elected in the 2009 presidential election...
and head of his presidential guard, Kondrat Samsonia, General Director of A-Mobile and deputy of the Sukhumi Municipal Assembly and Adgur Tarba, head of the Municipal Advertising Agency. According to the story, Khashig was then driven to a sub-urban wasteland where he was threatened the same fate as Dmitry Kholodov
Dmitry Kholodov
Dmitry Yuryevich Kholodov was educated as a physicist and began his working life, alongside his parents, at the defence industry institute in Klimovsk in the Moscow Region. Faced by limited career prospects he turned to journalism, first working for the local radio. In 1992 he became a reporter...
and Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Politkovskaya
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya was a Russian journalist, author, and human rights activist known for her opposition to the Chechen conflict and then-President of Russia Vladimir Putin...
lest he change the tone of his publications. The direct motivation for the threat was said to be the critical article Беспрограммная любовь (Love without programme) published on 3 February in Chegemskaya Pravda about the congress of United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia
United Abkhazia is a political party in Abkhazia. United Abkhazia was founded on March 25, 2004 as a socio-political movement, with the specific goal of presenting a single opposition candidate for the October 2004 presidential elections....
held on 27 January.
Initial reactions
On 18 February, 31 Journalists signed a declaration addressed to President Bagapsh in which they demanded his intervention. Likewise, opposition politicians requested the law-enforcement agencies to intervene and members of the Public ChamberPublic Chamber of Abkhazia
The Public Chamber of Abkhazia is an advisory body to the President of the internationally underrecognised Republic of Abkhazia.-Creation of the Public Chamber:...
called upon all political actors to settle disputes within the law only. On 19 February, Khashig's original article was republished by the Russian news agency REGNUM
REGNUM News Agency
REGNUM News Agency is a Russian non-governmental federal online news service disseminating news from Russia and abroad from its own correspondents, affiliate agencies and partners...
.
Presidential spokesman Kristian Bzhania denied the involvement of people from the president's entourage in the incident, and he said that he had spoken with Inal Khashig on the telephone and the latter had not mentioned the purported events. He also hinted that the conversation between Khashig and the three men had taken place in a waterfront cafe.
Khashig's statement
Khashig initially refused to comment on the reports. He then on 21 February released a statement in which he confirmed that the incident had taken place, while downplaying its seriousness. He denied reports which claimed that he had been taken to the woods and had been beaten. He also denied that he had been taken anywhere by car. Instead, he said that the men had walked to a deserted beach near Kelasuri and that, taking into account that he knew two of the men quite well, the conversation had not been out of line. Khashig did confirm that Kholodov and Politkovskaya had been mentioned, while saying that due to their youth the men probably did not appreciate the semantic load of these names.Khashig stated that he had not responded to the reports earlier as he did not want to exacerbate an already dramatic situation, and that he was forced to change his mind when the story grew out of proportion. He thanked people for coming to his defence, but stressed that he did not want to be seen as a martyr or a sacrificial lamb. He also wished for the three involved men not to be regarded as crooks. According to Khashig, the principal lesson of the episode was that a journalist is free to raise any sensitive issue, and that those who feel hurt should challenge the journalist through legal channels only.
Bagapsh's statement
Following Khashig's declaration, President Bagapsh released a statement in which he said that he agreed with Khashig that problems can only be solved within the legal framework. He added that he had been concerned about the reported incident, as he had always been a staunch defender of the freedom of speech, but that he had waited with his reaction until all the facts had become clear. He condemned the opposition parties who had not done so and who had used the opportunity to "wage an information war against the government".June 2009 printing problems
In the week of 5 June 2009, the newspaper's printing house Alasharbaga refused to print it, giving the lack of profit from publishing the newspaper as its reason. Inal Khashig accused the government of being behind the action with the upcoming 12 December 2009 presidential electionAbkhazian presidential election, 2009
On 12 December 2009, Abkhazia held its fourth Presidential election since the post of President of the Republic of Abkhazia was created in 1994. The election was won by incumbent president Sergei Bagapsh in the first round with 61% of the votes, thus gaining a second term in office. He was be...
in mind. This was denied by Prime Minister Alexander Ankvab
Alexander Ankvab
Alyksandr Zolotinska-ipa Ankvab is an Abkhaz politician and businessman who has been President of Abkhazia since 2011. Under President Sergei Bagapsh, he previously served as Prime Minister from 2005 to 2010 and Vice-President from 2010 to 2011....
, who argued that Alasharbaga was a private business, and by Presidential Spokesman Kristian Bzhania, who pointed out that the newspaper had been warned in advance by its printing house and that Alasharbaga had not stopped publishing the larger government-critical newspaper Ekho Abkhazii.