TBILISI – Ukrainian border guards did not allow Tengo Gogotishvili, a journalist of the Georgian Rustavi-2 broadcasting company, to enter Ukraine.
After a six-hour wait in Kyiv airport, Ukrainian border guards gave Gogotishvili a document stating that he had been unable to confirm the purpose of his visit to Kyiv, therefore, he was refused entry to Ukraine, Rustavi-2 said.
Gogotishvili himself told the TV channel that, according to his information, the Ukrainian Border Guard Service provided the Georgian consulate in Ukraine with a different explanation as to why he had been denied entry to the country. According to the journalist, the consulate was told that he did not have enough money for a trip to Ukraine.
“It was evidently a formal reason. The main reason to refuse my entry was my activity as a journalist,” Gogotishvili said.
He said he believes the Ukrainian Border Guard Service “has a certain black list.” “I don’t know if I’m on this black list personally or Rustavi-2 (is) as an undesirable broadcasting company. The fact is that I’m denied entry to Ukraine today,” Gotishvili said.
Border guards, however, let the Rustavi-2 cameraman, who was travelling alongside the reporter, enter Ukraine with no trouble, the television company said
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has yet to comment on this situation.
