( RIA Novosti ) - Georgia's government has applied to the country's prosecutors to resume TV broadcasts by the Imedi channel, shut down after mass opposition protests, the country's acting president, Nino Burdzhanadze, said Monday.
The independent channel co-owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation and Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili was shut down amid mass anti-government rallies. Authorities accused the channel of inciting a coup, later a court ruled to suspend its license and seize its assets.
The Georgian government set certain conditions for Imedi, including providing access to News Corp. financial documents.
"The Georgian government has set three conditions for the Imedi management," Alexander Lomaya said. "These are financial transparency, a clear ownership and management structure, and compliance with journalistic ethics."
Tbilisi said it would provide compensation for any damage caused during the raid of the TV station, adding that the closure had been the only method of "deterring direct calls for violence and unconstitutional regime change."