Georgian activists demanded the release of Amaglobeli

Female politicians held a rally today outside Rustavi Prison, demanding the release of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," convicted journalist Mzia Amaglobeli has been denied access to medical examination and treatment to preserve her vision. This was reported in late November 2025 by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association, which called on the Minister of Justice and the Ombudsman to intervene. In early August, a Batumi court sentenced Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, to two years in prison for slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaglobeli's charges were reduced at the final stage of her trial; the original charge carried a sentence of four to seven years in prison. The appellate court upheld the sentence. The defense appealed this decision.

In solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the online publications "Batumelebi" and "Netgazeti", female politicians gathered outside Penitentiary Institution No. 5 in Rustavi. They unfurled banners: "Mzia Amaglobeli has spent a year in prison!", "Freedom for prisoners of conscience!", "Free Mzia!", "Fight before it's too late!", "Freedom for the regime's prisoners!", Interpressnews reports.

Mzia Amaglobeli is being punished for her love of her homeland, said Marika Arevadze, a member of the Coalition for Change.

"Mzia Amaglobeli is the first female journalist to be held in illegal detention by the regime. She is illegally imprisoned, punished for her love of her homeland. Her intransigence is an example of struggle, and she has been repeatedly rewarded for it as part of the repressions carried out against her by the regime. Mzia Amaglobeli and the rest of the regime's prisoners must be immediately released; the regime's terror must end," she was quoted as saying in publications.

"Fight before it's too late"—these are the words Mzia Amaglobeli spoke in court. This fight continues; Georgian citizens take to the streets every day in cities across the country and continue to protest. Therefore, tomorrow, on the anniversary of Mzia Amaglobeli's arrest, we must express solidarity with Mzia and, of course, with all prisoners of conscience. Mzia Amaglobeli, the first female journalist, is being punished for wanting our country to be in the European Union. She wants human rights to be protected in this country," TV company Pirveli quotes another protester, Dea Metreveli.

"The fight for Mzia's freedom continues!" - Under this slogan, a march from Marjanishvili Square to Parliament in support of convicted journalist Mzia Amaglobeli has been announced for January 12 at 8:00 PM (7:00 PM Moscow time), Publika reported.

Since the journalist's arrest, demands for her release and an investigation into the actions of the police, in particular the Batumi police chief, have been heard at all mass protests that have taken place daily in Georgia since November 2024.

The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association called Mzia Amaglobeli's arrest the result of political repression. The NGO called on the prosecutor's office to immediately drop Amaglobeli's case and release her, and on the Special Investigative Service to investigate the journalist's mistreatment following her arrest and to remove Irakli Dgebuadze from his post as Batumi police chief pending the completion of the investigation. Georgian journalists held a rally outside the government administration, demanding the release of Amaglobeli, and activist Revaz Kiknadze, arrested in connection with violence during protests, announced a hunger strike in solidarity with the journalist.

In October, Mzia Amaglobeli received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which is the European Union's highest award for human rights.