Two Georgian newspapers, Rezonansi and Alia, staged a rally in support of photographers arrested on charges of collaborating with Russian intelligence. reports this Interfax . In photographs published in the July 12 issues of these publications, the faces of President Mikheil Saakashvili and other government officials are covered with black squares.

The photographs are accompanied by the inscription “There should be a photo here, but the photographers have been arrested.”

The day before, one of the arrested photographers, Georgiy Abdaladze (who collaborates with the aforementioned Alia newspaper), appealed to Georgian newspapers to organize an action of this kind. It is not reported whether any other publications responded to his call.

Georgian journalists and representatives of a number of political parties have already held several actions in support of the arrested photographers. The next one, as GHN reports , will take place near the parliament building on the evening of July 12.

Several photographers, including the personal photographer of the President of Georgia, were detained at the end of last week. The investigation claims that one of them collaborated with officers of the GRU of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and received secret information from colleagues (who worked in the presidential administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

The court, which determined the preventive measure for the defendants in the case, authorized their arrest. The presidential photographer Irakli Gedenidze, the aforementioned Georgiy Abdaladze, who collaborated with the Alia newspaper and the Georgian Foreign Ministry, as well as EPA agency representative Zurab Kurtsikidze (it was he who, according to the investigation, was in contact with Russian intelligence) were placed under arrest. Gedenidze’s wife, detained with him, was later released on bail.

One of those arrested (presidential photographer Irakli Gedenidze) admitted guilt and testified. The other two maintain their innocence.

Two Georgian newspapers covered Saakashvili with a black square