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State of emergency imposed for 15 days in Georgia

Georgia Materials 8 November 2007 11:20 (UTC +04:00)

( Civil ) - President Saakashvili has imposed state of emergency on entire territory of Georgia for 15 days, economy minister, Giorgi Arveladze, announced at 1 am local time on November 8.

Restrictions, he said, will be imposed on dissemination of information, demonstrations and strikes.

As a result, news programs at all the private television stations will be shut down for 15 days. Publicly-funded Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) will only be able to provide news coverage.

The presidential decree implies, Arveladze said, "ceasing of receiving and free dissemination of information in written or verbal forms."

"This only refers to TV and radio stations," Arveladze specified. "Receiving and disseminating of information will only be conducted by the Georgian Public Broadcaster."

Newspapers and online media sources will also be able to operate.

The parliament has to be convened within the next 48 hours and approve the presidential decree, which is already in force.

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