Giorgi Sanaia, sometimes spelled as Giorgi Sanaya ( ka, გიორგი სანაია) (1975–2001) was a
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
television journalist of the independent broadcasting company
Rustavi 2
Rustavi 2 ( ka, რუსთავი 2, tr, "Rustavi ori") is a Georgian free-to-air television channel based in Tbilisi, that was founded in 1994 in the town of Rustavi (hence its name).
It is an associate member of the European Broadcasting ...
who was murdered under controversial circumstances in 2001.
Background
He was a very popular television personality as the anchorman of the "Night Courier" news program, and he was known for investigating allegations of official corruption. He was killed at his flat in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
on July 26, 2001. The killing of Sanaia was referenced in the documentary ''
Power Trip'', which details the Georgian transition to privatized electricity.
Death
The murder of Giorgi Sanaia was widely believed to be politically motivated and triggered an unprecedented outpouring of public grief and anger. The government demonstrated to the Georgian public that everything was being done to find his killer, and subsequently arrested a certain Giorgi Khurtsilava who was eventually sentenced to 13 years in prison. However, Sanaia's widow and many Georgians are dissatisfied, as the court neither established a true motive for the murder, nor found answers to a number of key questions.
Sanaia’s Murderer Sentenced to 13 Years
Civil Georgia
''Civil Georgia'' ( ka, სივილ ჯორჯია) is a Tbilisi-based free daily news website run by Georgian NGO UN Association of Georgia. It is supported by USAID, Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Swiss Agency for Development and Coop ...
. July 9, 2003
Giorgi Sanaia was survived by a wife and a son.
References
External links
Memorial site
IFEX: Giorgi Sanaia Killed
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanaia, Giorgi
1975 births
2001 deaths
Burials in Georgia (country)
Journalists from Georgia (country)
Journalists killed in Georgia (country)
Male murder victims
Murder victims from Georgia (country)
People murdered in Georgia (country)
20th-century journalists
2001 murders in Georgia (country)