Europe's human rights court dismissed on Thursday a case filed by the owners of a Georgian pro-opposition television channel Rustavi 2 accusing Georgia's Supreme Court of bias and that it was subject to a state-led campaign to silence it, Reuters reported.

In recent years the popular TV station, which overtly criticizes Moscow, has been at the center of a highly politicized ownership row which the opposition says is part of an attempt to muzzle the media, Reuters noted.

In 2017 Georgia's Supreme Court ruled that the channel's former co-owner, businessman and government ally Kibar Khalvashi, had been coerced into giving up his controlling stake in 2006 under former president Mikheil Saakashvili, and ordered the current owners to restore it to him.

But the European Court of Human Rights imposed a suspension on the verdict two years ago, after which Rustavi 2 filed its own case challenging the Supreme Court ruling, alleging judge bias and breach of fair trial guarantees.

In its ruling on Thursday the Strasbourg-based court lifted the interim suspension and rejected "as inadmissible complaints brought by Rustavi 2 owners, including their allegations that the proceedings had been a state-led campaign to silence the television channel."

Channel director Nika Gvaramia said Rustavi 2's owners would appeal the verdict at the European court's grand chamber. Rustavi 2 staff said they would not work under management appointed by Khalvashi.

Georgia's Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani said that the European court's verdict "confirmed that Georgian supreme court's decision was fair."

Government officials have accused the popular TV station of bias, while critics fear Khalvashi - a close supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party - would silence the only strong media voice critical of the government.

Khalvashi said on Thursday he would guarantee editorial freedom to all journalists and would not interfere in the editorial policy.

"The change will concern only one person - Nika Gvaramia, (the broadcaster's current director general), who won't be able to work at Rustavi 2 anymore," Khalvashi said in a statement.

Gvaramia said his dismissal would be illegal as his contract guaranteed independence from the broadcaster's owners.

However, a few hours after the decision of EHCR was made public Khalvashi appointed a new general director.

Paata Salia, who replaced Nika Gvaramia as the director general of Rustav 2, went to the TV company and spoke with the team late on July 18 to set further goals, agenda.ge informs. Salia told the journalists that he does not intend to interfere in the editorial policy and the team may continue working as they did before the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights. “You, the journalists have the freedom to do whatever you did. This is your job and I do not intend to interfere", Salia said.

He also underscored that he aimed to meet with the company's managing team to learn more about its financial and legal conditions. However, Salia was told at Rustavi 2 that the managing team had already left. “We want to make sure that the company has no obstacles. You are aware that the director has been changed.... [the company] should work without any delays", he said.

Salia, who is also the lawyer of the new owner of Rustavi 2, Kibar Khalvashi, said the latter “cannot imagine to cooperate with Nika Gvaramia”, while he has no objections to work with anyone else from the team.

Before meeting with the journalists Salia had a short conversation with former director general Nika Gvaramia as well. Gvaramia said he will not cooperate with Salia and would not yet let him take the general director's cabinet.