'They left me no choice' – solo protest in support of Mzia Amaglobeli in Georgia. Video
Protest in support of Mzia Amaglobeli
For several nights in a row, Batumelebi editor Eter Turadze has been staging a solo protest outside the Georgian parliament, demanding the release of her colleague, Mzia Amaglobeli.
Amaglobeli, co-founder and director of Batumelebi, was arrested on 12 January on charges of assaulting a police officer. She has been on hunger strike for 18 days, consuming only water.
“The type of hunger strike she has chosen is extremely dangerous to her health, especially given her chronic conditions,” Turadze explains in a video recorded by GPB Guardians.
Case of Mzia Amaglobeli
Mzia Amaglobeli was arrested twice during a protest outside the police headquarters in Batumi on the night of 11-12 January.
Her first arrest came after she stuck a sticker on the police building calling for a general strike. She was released on bail a few hours later.
However, she was arrested again shortly after for slapping Batumi’s police chief, Irakli Dgebuadze, following repeated verbal insults directed at her. The incident occurred amid clashes between protesters and police, which involved provocative actions by law enforcement.
Amaglobeli is charged with assaulting a police officer, an offense that carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison. She has been placed in pretrial detention for two months.
What’s happening now?
Since her arrest on 12 January, Mzia Amaglobeli has been on hunger strike. Despite pleas from friends and colleagues to stop, she insists that this is her way of fighting injustice:
Democracy is not a gift—our society knows this better than anyone, and now it has become even clearer. If I end my hunger strike, I will see myself as complicit in this injustice.
Details about Amaglobeli’s current health condition remain unknown. The penitentiary service has only issued brief statements, claiming that she is receiving adequate medical care and is being held in a monitored cell for her own well-being.
On 28 January, doctors in Batumi—Amaglobeli’s hometown—publicly warned about the serious health risks of prolonged fasting, stressing the need for daily medical supervision. They noted that at this stage, the hunger strike could already be causing severe complications.
International reaction
The arrest of Mzia Amaglobeli has sparked widespread protests across Georgia and strong reactions from the West. Politicians, organizations, and government officials continue to issue statements on the case.
Today, on 29 January, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted a statement on X, demanding Amaglobeli’s release:
“The unjustified pre-trial detention is but one example of the harsh crackdown on media representatives, activists and protesters,” the statement reads.
Georgia 🇬🇪:
— Norway MFA (@NorwayMFA) January 29, 2025
Day 18 of renowned journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli’s hunger strike. The unjustified pre-trial detention is but one example of the harsh crackdown on media representatives, activists and protesters.
We urge Mzia’s immediate release. pic.twitter.com/lf3NSHr2cG
On 28 January, the EU delegation to Georgia issued a statement in support of Mzia Amaglobeli, calling for her immediate release.
“Free media and the right to a fair trial is at the core of EU values,” the post states.
🇪🇺EU stands in solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli on the 17th day of her hunger strike and calls on her immediate release. Free media and the right to a fair trial is at the core of EU values.
— EU Delegation Georgia 🇪🇺 (@EUinGeorgia) January 28, 2025
@MAmaghlobeli@Batumelebi_ge
@netgazeti https://t.co/YBzBdam9xz
Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, described Mzia Amaglobeli as “our conscience, our face, our pride in front of repression, resisting the Ivanishvili regime’s attempt to drag Georgia in Russialand.”
#freeMziaAmaglobeli becomes #saveMziaAmaglobeli on the 17h day of her hungerstrike. She is our conscience, our face, our pride in front of repression, resisting the Ivanishvili regime’s attempt to drag Georgia in Russialand! pic.twitter.com/kZNTt0ka2O
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) January 29, 2025
