Mziya Amaglobeli faces new charges

A new administrative case against the journalist Mziya Amaglobeli has arrived in the Batumi City Court. The reason for drawing up the administrative protocol was the poster she pasted on the wall of a building during this January protest.

Law enforcers have drawn up a new protocol against Mziya Amaglobeli, said Nona Kurdovanidze, the Chairperson of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and Amaglobeli's advocate. "This time, she is accused of distorting the building’s appearance with the protest poster that was torn down immediately after she had pasted it," the “Interpressnews” quotes Ms Kurdovanidze as saying today, adding that they plan to fine her again for the same action under a new article.

The advocate has recalled Mziya Amaglobeli was detained for this action. "However, [law enforcers] have realized that they had no right to detain someone for a poster; they falsified the protocols and wrote down that they were charging Mziya under Article 173 [of the Code of Administrative Offenses - disobedience to a policeman]. This case has already been heard by the first instance court; and Mziya was unfairly fined. However, the injustice against Mziya did not end there; and now they plan to fine her again for the same action under a new article," Ms Kurdovanidze has explained.

A hearing of this case, chaired by Judge Marianna Fomaeva, was scheduled for May 7 in the Batumi City Court. But since the case materials were handed over to Amaglobeli only on May 5 and the advocates had no time to study them, she petitioned in a letter sent from jail to postpone the hearing. Judge Mariana Fomaeva scheduled the hearing of the new administrative case for June 9. Mziya Amaglobeli was not present at today's court session.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on May 7, 2025 at 02:33 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here