On the eve of the hearing on Monday, July 14, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI) held a solidarity action outside Mzia Amaghlobeli's prison to express their support. The three NGOs will go to Batumi to monitor the trial of the Georgian journalist, who has been arbitrarily detained for six months. They call for the immediate withdrawal of all charges and her unconditional release.
She is the first female journalist to be imprisoned in Georgia for politically motivated reasons since the country’s independence, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mzia Amaghlobeli, renowned journalist, and co-founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, faces prosecution in three separate proceedings: one for a criminal charge of "attack on a police officer" after a symbolic slap, and two others for the administrative charges of "insulting and resisting police" and "distortion of building appearance" for using a protest sticker. Her arrest, in January 2025, hinges on charges that are blatantly unfounded and disproportionate.
On the eve of this pivotal July 14 hearing, RSF expresses deep concern about numerous irregularities in the case: unjustified pre-trial detention, disproportionate charges, misapplication of criminal law, the bias of the court, verbal abuse during detention, and repeated violations of the rights of the defence. The Georgian Prime Minister himself publicly violated the journalist’s presumption of innocence by claiming she acted “on instructions” from foreign organisations.
“Mzia Amaghlobeli’s continued detention is based on absurd charges and reflects a clear intention to silence a journalist who is critical of the ruling party, in a climate of growing authoritarianism in Georgia. RSF calls on the Georgian authorities to drop all charges and release her immediately. The organisation will be present at the hearing to support this journalist in this case that clearly symbolises the regime’s increasingly unrestrained assault on press freedom and the right to information.
Shortly after her arrest, Mzia Amaghlobeli went on a 38-day hunger strike to protest her detention. Her trial is being monitored by several international organisations, including the Clooney Foundation for Justice (TrialWatch), as well as the CPJ and the IPI, with whom RSF is attending the hearing. Her case has triggered a wave of international solidarity, including within the European Parliament and the U.S. Congress.
This judicial harassment is reflective of the context of mounting repression in Georgia, marked by a brutal and escalating offensive against media professionals, and a sharp deterioration in press freedom and democratic standards. Georgia has dropped 11 places in RSF’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
