We must not tolerate this. JAMnews editorial statement on arrest of "Batumelebi" director Mzia Amaglobeli

JAMnews statement in support of Mzia Amaglobeli

Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the popular Georgian outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was detained on January 12 during a mass protest near the Batumi police headquarters.

Footage without audio, aired by the pro-government TV channel Imedi, shows Amaglobeli striking Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze. However, Amaglobeli told a Public Defender representative that police were gripping her arms tightly, and she unintentionally struck the officer while trying to free herself.

The incident has been classified as an assault on law enforcement under Article 353, Part 1, of the Criminal Code, carrying a penalty of 4–7 years in prison.

As of this writing, the broader context is critical.

According to the Public Defender’s report, over 500 people have been arrested since protests began on November 28, 2024, after the government announced it was halting EU accession talks.

Nearly half of the over 500 detainees show signs of physical abuse, with many recounting harrowing experiences. Human rights advocates, including the Public Defender, have described the treatment by law enforcement as torture.

More than 70 journalists have been attacked, with some narrowly escaping death, often in incidents broadcast live.

Nearly 200 cases of violence against journalists recorded in Georgia in 2024.

Yet, no investigations have been launched against law enforcement officers involved in these violent acts.

Pro-government groups, referred to as “men in black” or “titushki,” remain unpunished for assaults on journalists and activists, including a brutal attack on TV Pirveli journalist Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli.

No one has been held accountable for the brutal beatings of activists and politicians during protests against the “foreign agents” law in spring 2024.

On January 14, a court will decide whether to keep Amaglobeli in custody. Prosecutors are requesting pretrial detention.

Footage of Amaglobeli’s arrest shows police handling her roughly amid audible shouting and threats. Her lawyer was unlawfully denied access for hours after the arrest, and Amaglobeli claims she was mistreated in custody.

As editors and journalists at JAMnews, we work in a highly challenging region. In some countries, our authors and editors are forced to work under pseudonyms.

Some of our colleagues keep an emergency bag packed at home, uncertain when they might face arrest or need to flee due to government persecution for their journalistic work.

We naively believed Georgia would never become one of those countries. Yet recent years have shown otherwise.

The arrest of Mzia Amaglobeli is another shocking example of how Ivanishvili’s regime weaponizes legal institutions to silence critical voices.

Batumelebi is one of Georgia’s oldest media outlets, founded in 2001 in the Ajara region during the corrupt rule of Aslan Abashidze. The newspaper was among the first to challenge his regime.

For decades, Batumelebi has been a voice of truth, not only in Ajara but across Georgia.

Now, history is repeating itself. Regimes may change, but the pattern of targeting critical media persists.

For years, the bold and uncompromising reporting of Batumelebi has exposed corruption, cronyism, and social injustice. The lives and safety of its staff have repeatedly been at risk because of their journalistic work.

At JAMnews, we firmly believe that only through collective efforts can we protect free journalism and preserve the hope for democracy in Georgia.

In this situation, the unity of the international community, journalists, and civil society is crucial.

It is essential that we do not tolerate the suppression of media and freedom of speech.

Mzia Amaglobeli is neither the first nor, regrettably, likely the last to face the lawlessness of Ivanishvili’s regime. It is vital to ensure that such cases do not become mere statistics in Georgia, as they have in neighboring Azerbaijan, Russia, Belarus, and Central Asian countries.

This is a fight not just for one individual’s freedom but for the freedom of an entire society.

Journalist Mzia Amaglobeli must be released immediately!

Solidarity with Batumelebi and Netgazeti, solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli! Their fight is our fight. This is a fight for Georgia’s future.

JAMnews Editorial Team

News in Georgia