Over 300 journalists in Georgia call for Mzia Amaglobeli's release
Georgian journalists demand Amaglobeli’s release
Over 300 journalists, editors, and media managers in Georgia have issued a joint statement demanding the immediate release of Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder and director of Batumelebi and Netgazeti. Amaglobeli, who has been on a hunger strike in prison for 16 days, is surviving only on water.
The journalists have appealed to international organizations advocating for press freedom and to representatives of diplomatic missions from friendly countries, urging them to “stand against the widespread persecution of journalists in Georgia by the regime of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili.”
Mzia Amaglobeli is the first female journalist in Georgia to be recognized as a prisoner of conscience.
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“Mzia Amaghlobeli is being punished by the regime of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who earned his billions in Russia, for her impartial journalism and exemplary civil activism. She did not commit the criminal offense she was charged with by Ivanishvili’s regime.
Since January 12, when the oligarch detained our colleague Mzia Amaghlobeli, every one of us faces the threat of arrest for our professional activities.
Under the rule of the Georgian Dream government, the media environment in Georgia has sharply deteriorated in recent years. In addition to the threat to independent media organizations created by the “Russian style law on the transparency of foreign influence,” adopted in the summer of 2024, verbal abuse and physical violence against journalists by representatives of the authorities have become alarmingly frequent. Additionally, Russian-style repressions against journalists have started,” the statement reads.
The authors of the statement highlight that during the coverage of pro-European protests in November-December 2024, more than 90 cases of violence against journalists by law enforcement officers were documented. However, investigative authorities have failed to investigate any of these cases or hold those responsible accountable.
Additionally, during this period, many journalists were arrested under administrative charges and later released after paying fines or serving several days of administrative detention.
“The fact that Mzia Amaghlobeli has been arrested on criminal charges demonstrates that the oligarch’s regime has entered a new phase in its persecution of critical journalists. This involves imprisoning journalists based on fabricated charges, as has occurred in recent years in Russia, Belarus, and neighboring Azerbaijan.
We demand the immediate release of the prisoner of conscience, Mzia Amaghlobeli! We call on international organizations protecting journalists’ rights and representatives of friendly countries’ diplomatic corps to raise their voices against the mass persecution of journalists by Bidzina Ivanishvili’s regime and to protect media representatives in Georgia.”
What is known about Mzia Amaglobeli’s health condition?
On January 27, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, which represents Mzia Amaglobeli, announced that the journalist’s life is in danger. The association is calling on the Ministry of Justice to “immediately issue a statement and periodically provide the public with updates on Mzia Amaglobeli’s health condition.”
Since Mzia Amaglobeli’s arrest, her close colleague, Batumelebi editor Eteri Turadze, has been requesting meetings with the Prosecutor General and the Speaker of Parliament to share information about Amaglobeli’s health. However, she has yet to receive a response.
The Penitentiary Service claims that Mzia Amaglobeli is receiving proper medical care and is under constant observation by medical staff.
“In the interest of the detainee’s own safety, she has been placed in a cell equipped with a surveillance system to ensure immediate response,” the Penitentiary Service added.
Case of Mzia Amaglobeli
Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the independent online outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested twice during a protest outside the police building in Batumi, southwestern Georgia, on the night of January 11-12.
Her first arrest came after she placed a sticker on the police building calling for a general strike. She was released on bail a few hours later.
Shortly afterward, Amaglobeli was arrested again for slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze, following repeated insults directed at her. The incident occurred after clashes between protesters and police, which were reportedly provoked by law enforcement.
For three hours after her arrest, Amaglobeli was denied access to her lawyer. She also informed Georgia’s Ombudsman representative about mistreatment during her detention.
Amaglobeli faces charges of assaulting a police officer, which carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison. She has been remanded in custody for two months as a pre-trial measure.
