Georgian journalist sentenced to two years in prison, sparking outrage at home and abroad

By Mikheil Khachidze

A prominent investigative journalist in Georgia was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police chief during anti-government protests. The verdict that has sparked widespread condemnation from both domestic civil society and international diplomats.

Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the independent news outlet Batumelebi, was convicted by Batumi City Court on August 6, for allegedly resisting and using violence against law enforcement during mass protests in January. Footage from the scene, circulated in Georgian media, shows Amaghlobeli slapping Irakli Dgebuadze, the local police chief, during a demonstration.

In court during her defense, Amaghlobeli said that she acted in an emotional state after witnessing the violent detention of colleagues and being trampled in a stampede. She also accused Dgebuadze of spitting on her and attempting to physically assault her while she was in custody. The courtroom was packed with journalists and supporters, many of them holding signs demanding press freedom and accusing the government of silencing dissent.

She had initially faced charges of inflicting bodily harm — a crime punishable by up to seven years in prison — but was ultimately convicted on lesser charges. Her defense team criticised the trial as politically biased, and argued that Amaghlobeli had not received due process.

“Disproportionate and politically motivated”

In the hours after the verdict, 24 diplomatic missions – including the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, and Ukraine – issued a joint statement condemning the sentence as “disproportionate and politically motivated,” and demanding Amaghlobeli’s immediate release.

“We are deeply concerned by the sentencing of Mzia Amaghlobeli,” the statement read, warning that her detention and the broader crackdown on independent media represent “a troubling erosion of press freedom in Georgia.”

The diplomats also pointed to Amaghlobeli’s prolonged pre-trial detention — she was arrested in Batumi on January 11, 2025 — which they said had significantly worsened her health and eyesight.

The statement, issued on behalf of the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC), a partnership of over 50 countries across six continents committed to defending press freedom worldwide, highlighted the mounting pressure on Amaghlobeli’s media organisations. She is the founder of two papers — Batumelebi and Netgazeti — both of which are considered Georgia’s leading investigative news outlets. MFC regards her arrest as part of a broader campaign of intimidation against journalists and civil society in Georgia.

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Wider crackdowns

Amaghlobeli is widely respected for her reporting on issues of corruption, abuse of power, and human rights violations in Georgia’s politically turbulent region of Adjara, a semi-autonomous region on Georgia’s Black Sea coast.

Partly due to its strategic location, there is a history of power struggles between local and central authorities. Amid recurring allegations of corruption, the ruling party has recently made moves to sideline the opposition and tighten control over regional governance.

Since early 2024, Georgia has seen repeated mass protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party, which critics have accused of drifting away from the EU and towards Russia. Despite strong public support for EU membership, the Georgian government halted accession efforts last year, sparking further unrest. In addition, the country’s 2024 parliamentary elections were marred by allegations of voter intimidation, irregularities, and media suppression.

In this climate, journalists, opposition figures, and activists have faced growing repression – from surveillance and smear campaigns to criminal charges and imprisonment.

Amaghlobeli’s case is now being seen as a symbol of that repression, and a stark warning of the shrinking democratic space in a country once regarded as a regional frontrunner for European integration. [Global Voices]

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