Georgia urged to free jailed journalist Mzia Amaglobeli
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 1 hour ago | CPJ News Alert
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CPJ urges Georgia to release journalist Mzia Amaglobeli after her two-year sentence was upheld, drawing global concern over press freedom, political reprisals, and deteriorating media conditions.Summary
NEW YORK — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Georgian authorities to release journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, a prominent media manager, after a Georgian appeals court upheld a decision on November 18 that sentenced her to two years in prison. The journalist, who has been widely recognized domestically and internationally as a political prisoner, reportedly plans to challenge the ruling in Georgia’s Supreme Court.
Appeal rejected, Supreme Court next
“The rejection of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli’s appeal is another blow for press freedom in Georgia,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. She urged authorities not to contest Amaglobeli’s forthcoming Supreme Court appeal and to release her immediately.
Arrest, charges and allegations of retaliation
Police in the western city of Batumi arrested Amaglobeli on January 12 after a dispute in which the journalist slapped the city’s police chief. In August, a court sentenced her to two years in prison for criminal resistance, threat, or violence against an official. Her lawyers and rights groups say her pretrial detention and charges were unjustified and retaliatory, targeting her for her work with the independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, which she founded 25 years ago. Amaglobeli is the first woman journalist to be jailed since Georgia’s independence in 1991.
Health, financial pressure and international recognition
Amaglobeli’s vision has deteriorated in custody, and she has faced mistreatment and smear campaigns. In July, tax authorities froze the bank accounts of her outlets. In October, the European Parliament awarded her the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, highlighting how she and co-awardee Belarusian journalist Andrzej Poczobut had paid a heavy price for speaking truth to power.
Wider context: declining press freedom in Georgia
Press freedom conditions in Georgia have sharply worsened, as noted in CPJ’s recent submission to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Authorities have introduced restrictive laws and failed to hold police accountable for violence against journalists. CPJ contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the prosecutor’s office for comment but did not receive responses.
KEY POINTS:
- Georgian appeals court upholds two-year prison sentence for journalist Mzia Amaglobeli
- CPJ calls for her immediate release and urges authorities not to oppose her Supreme Court appeal
- Rights groups say charges and pretrial detention were unjustified and politically motivated
- Amaglobeli’s health has worsened in detention amid reported mistreatment and pressure on her outlets
- European Parliament awards her the 2025 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
- Press freedom in Georgia continues to deteriorate under restrictive laws and police impunity
PHOTO: Mzia Amaglobeli is seen on trial (Batumelebi)
