Charter of Journalistic Ethics on Dito Chubinidze: Bringing a journalist to criminal responsibility under the gravest article of treason against the homeland requires a particularly high standard from the point of view of evidence - we await an answer as to whether the Prosecutor’s Office has sufficient evidence

Bringing a journalist to criminal responsibility under the gravest article of treason against the homeland requires a particularly high standard from the point of view of evidence, — this is how the Charter of Journalistic Ethics of Georgia responds to the arrest of “Asaval-Dasavali” journalist Dito Chubinidze.

In the disseminated statement the Charter calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to make public the evidence existing in the case.

“Bringing a journalist to criminal responsibility under the gravest article of treason against the homeland requires a particularly high standard from the point of view of evidence.

The Charter awaits an answer as to whether the Prosecutor’s Office has sufficient evidence in order to outline intent and to substantiate real damage. Otherwise it will turn out that in the case against Dito Chubinidze there are only journalistic works, interviews given to various media and opinions disseminated on social networks. Bringing a journalist to criminal responsibility solely on this basis creates a dangerous precedent.

In today’s statement of the Prosecutor’s Office no answer to these questions is visible — precisely for this reason the Charter will carefully follow the evidence presented in the case and the fulfillment of those standards that the article under which the charge is brought should satisfy.

The Charter calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to show greater accountability toward the public, since the case concerns journalistic activity, and to make public the evidence existing in the case,” the information says.