Journalists, newsrooms, press freedom advocates, human rights defenders, and journalists’ organizations call for Mzia Amaglobeli’s release
The Justice for Journalists Foundation joined journalists, newsrooms, press freedom advocates, human rights defenders, and journalists’ organizations, to call upon the Georgian authorities to immediately release veteran journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been on hunger strike for five weeks since her arrest in early January.
As of February 18, Mzia announced an end to the hunger strike after doctors warned that she faced an imminent threat to her life.
On January 11, amid a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests, Mzia was arrested on disproportionate charges of assaulting a police officer – a charge carrying up to seven years in prison – following an altercation with a police chief in Batumi. She has since been unjustly held in pre-trial detention where she decided to refuse food in protest against her mistreatment and against the wider crackdown in Georgia.
On February 4, Mzia was transferred to a hospital where doctors warned she would soon go into organ failure. The court hearing to review Mzia’s detention is scheduled for March 4.
Mzia faces a long rehabilitation to regain her health and must not be returned to prison.
Mzia is the founder and director of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, two of Georgia’s most popular and respected online news portals covering corruption and abuse of power. Throughout her career, Mzia has shown exemplary courage and a steadfast commitment to defending democratic values, press freedom, and journalists’ rights.
Mzia’s arrest comes during a brutal suppression of the democracy protests and escalating attacks against independent journalists.
Mzia sent the following message from her prison cell:
“These processes have been unfolding over the past year and are embedding themselves into our daily lives as a dictatorship. Freedom is far more valuable than life, and it is at stake. Fight before it is too late […] I will not bow to this regime. I will not play by its rules.”
The Georgian authorities must release Mzia immediately, drop the disproportionate charges against her, and conduct an independent investigation into the allegations of mistreatment against her.
We stand by Mzia Amaglobeli, her colleagues at Batumelebi and Netgazeti, and all independent journalists of Georgia.
This statement was initiated by the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists.