**Police Arrest Cameraman in Georgia**
On January 12, police in the city of Batumi arrested Guram Murvanidze, a cameraman for the online publication Batumelebi. He was filming protests when he was taken away.
The police report shows that they targeted Murvanidze because he said he worked for Batumelebi. The publication says this is proof that the police were trying to stop him from doing his job.
According to Murvanidze, the police chief insulted him and tried to take his phone when he identified himself as a cameraman for Batumelebi. After his arrest, he was also verbally abused by the police.
Murvanidze is now facing charges of petty hooliganism and disobeying a police order. His lawyer says this is an attack on the publication and its journalists.
This is not the first time that Batumelebi has faced problems with the police. The founder and editor were arrested just a day before Murvanidze, and they reported being ill-treated by the police.
The publication is calling for action to be taken against those responsible for these attacks on journalistic freedoms.
Batumelebi was founded in 2001 and is one of the most respected publications in Georgia. Its journalists have faced pressure and reprisals in the past.
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