Mzia Amaghlobeli: A Champion for Press Freedom in Georgia
Protests and Imprisonment
Mzia Amaghlobeli, a Georgian journalist and founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has been unjustly imprisoned since January 2025. She was first detained on January 11 for exercising her free speech by placing a poster outside the Batumi city police department that said simply, “Georgia goes on strike.” She was re-arrested the next day for slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze following a heated exchange and charged with assault.
Amaghlobeli’s commitment to reporting the truth about the Georgian Dream government’s anti-democratic rule, political repression, and the ongoing public protests made her a threat to the regime.
Following the October 2024 elections, which were neither free nor fair according to international observers, the Georgian Dream party illegally convened parliament, appointed a new president through an illegitimate process, and withdrew Georgia from the European Union accession process.
This instigated widespread public protests across the country that continue today. More than 500 protestors have been arrested, and there are allegations of mistreatment and torture against at least 99 individuals. Journalists like Amaghlobeli have been a particular target of the regime through illegal detentions as well as legislation limiting media freedom.
A Disproportionate Charge
While Amaghlobeli acknowledges slapping the police officer, it was only in response to police aggression and insults directed at protestors, including Mzia and her family, according to her lawyers. Video (see video one) of the altercation shows the police arresting Amaghlobeli’s relatives for their participation in the protest. She can be heard asking Police Chief Dgebuadze, “They are my family members!”
Utilizing the harsher Criminal Code, rather than the Administrative Code, is a disproportionate legal escalation and indication of a potential abuse of power, according to her lawyers. As her lawyers argue, “A slap on the face does not qualify as an ‘assault,’ and a criminal charge is exaggerated and thus punitive.” Transparency International Georgia argues that “the slap was symbolic and lacked sufficient force to cause harm [damages are but one element of the tort].” Other experts have argued that pre-trial detention was not justified and that, under Georgian law, the slap did not warrant the serious attack charge.
For context, in another trial, a person who was driving with expired tags, without a license, and with an open container of alcohol slapped a police officer but only received a monetary fine and three days in detention. By comparison, Amaghlobeli was held for months in detention and sentenced to two years.
In addition to the punitive charge, when held in pre-trial detention, Amaghlobeli reports that police verbally abused, intimidated, and threatened her. She also went on a hunger strike for more than a month in January and February as a form of protest against her detention and treatment, resulting in a weakened health condition. She remains in poor health with a serious eye condition. (For more background, please read this seven-page document prepared by a colleague.)
An attack on one is an attack on all
Amaghlobeli’s imprisonment is not just an attack on one journalist—it is an attack on press freedom itself. Her arrest was purely in retaliation for the fearless reporting of her media outlets, Netgazeti and Batumelebi, which exposed widespread voter manipulation and illegal practices by the ruling party during the 2024 elections. Amaghlobeli’s courage in the face of repression reminds us of the vital role that journalists play in holding governments accountable.
Her prosecution was a warning shot fired at all journalists and democracy activists and has had a chilling effect across the country. Georgian and international journalists, civil society representatives, and public figures have condemned the handling of her case, emphasizing its implications for press freedom and the rule of law in Georgia. The Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) expressed deep concern over the politically motivated nature of her charges, urging immediate action to prevent further erosion of media freedoms in the country.
The case of Amaghlobeli is emblematic of the growing threats to democracy and human rights in Georgia. Every day that Amaghlobeli remains behind bars is another day that freedom in Georgia suffers a blow. The world must stand with Amaghlobeli and demand her freedom.
The McCain Institute has long supported individuals like Amaghlobeli, who put their lives on the line to uphold fundamental rights. Just as the McCain Institute has championed the release of political prisoners and journalists in authoritarian regimes, it must now call for Amaghlobeli’s immediate and unconditional release. Amaghlobeli’s courage in the face of repression reminds us of the vital role that journalists and democracy activists play in holding governments accountable.
By supporting her, the McCain Institute reaffirms its commitment to democracy, press freedom, and the fundamental human right to speak the truth without fear of persecution.
For more context read a piece in the Washington Post by one of the Advisory Board members of The John McCain Freedom for Political Prisoners Initiative, Jason Rezaian, on Mzia Amaglobeli and one of her lawyers, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, here.
*This report was drafted and prepared by Junior Fellow Emma Krdzalic from publicly available sources and reviewed by the FPPI and Global Democracy Director Pedro Pizano and Global Democracy Sr. Director Laura Thornton. It was approved by Mzia’s lawyers and representatives.