Mzia Amaglobeli struggles to walk on 19th day of hunger strike
Mzia Amaglobeli’s health worsens
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) reports that the health of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, is worsening. According to her lawyers, she is struggling to walk the necessary distance to meet with them.
Despite multiple requests from GYLA, authorities have not provided medical records related to her condition. Amaglobeli, who was arrested on charges of assaulting a police officer, has been on hunger strike in prison for 19 days. Both the penitentiary and the ombudsman’s office have been informed of her protest.
“No matter how unwell Mzia Amaglobeli feels, she keeps telling us, her lawyers, that she is fine and in good spirits. But how is that possible after 19 days of hunger strike?
She also asks us not to make too much noise about her protest. We fully respect her principled stance. However, when even medical records are being withheld from us, it is hard to stay calm,” said lawyer Nona Kurdovanidze.
According to the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), a medical representative from the Georgian ombudsman’s office assessed Amaglobeli’s health, but the results of the examination remain unknown.
“The law sets clear rules for the care of prisoners on hunger strike. Yet, we have no information on whether Mzia Amaglobeli is receiving proper care. This is especially concerning given her chronic illnesses, serious vision problems, and the risk of complications,” GYLA said in a statement.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has called on the ombudsman to take immediate action to prevent further deterioration of Mzia Amaglobeli’s health and potential irreversible consequences.
GYLA urges the ombudsman to:
- Exercise continuous, daily monitoring of the health of the imprisoned journalist on hunger strike;
- Provide full access to all medical records related to Amaglobeli’s condition;
- Request all documents from the Penitentiary Service concerning her hunger strike and health, and make copies available;
- Assess whether her medical care meets legal requirements and determine if she needs multidisciplinary treatment, as well as whether the prison is equipped to provide it;
- Ensure that a representative or doctor visits Amaglobeli daily to monitor her condition.
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.
