Blog / Ninia Kakabadze / Mediachecker / July 21, 2025
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It’s impossible to be part of today’s resistance in Georgia without asking yourself, “What if I’m arrested? How will I get through it? How will I remain true to myself?” Each time these thoughts cross my mind, I find myself thinking of Mzia Amaglobeli first, and I doubt I would possess her strength to endure.
At every court session, I see Mzia standing tall, refusing to sit down, and that reminds me of Rosa Parks, the woman who sat and refused to stand up.
In the 1950s, Rosa Parks became an iconic figure in the American civil rights movement. Her quiet yet profound act of defiance — simply refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger — led to her arrest and sparked a monumental 381-day bus boycott that ultimately brought an end to that segregation.
Left: A booking photo from Rosa Parks’ arrest on December 1, 1955. Wikimedia Commons Right: Rosa Parks sitting on a bus Rosa Parks sitting on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, 1956.
Parks was not merely an average activist; she was an educated, principled, and respected woman.
Mzia is not just another protester. She had never been a familiar face on television or someone who talked a lot. Instead, she acted — and her actions, alongside those of her colleagues, built two of Georgia’s most trusted, independent media outlets: Batumelebi and Netgazeti. These publications have stood firm for over 20 years, weathering three governments, including the authoritarian regime of Aslan Abashidze.
Freedom of speech in Georgia is closely tied to these outlets and Mzia herself. That’s why silencing Mzia carries a symbolic significance for the current authoritarian regime. It’s not just about her. It’s about suppressing the voice of a free press and, with it, the country’s democratic spirit.
What is most compelling about women who fight is their stubborn defense of principles and truth. Mzia stands out as a figure who challenges the stereotype of the “loud” or “hysterical” woman, a narrative crafted by men to undermine female strength. Her friends don’t even have her permission to speak about her health issues. In prison, she often chooses to go without the basic comforts she is entitled to. Yet, it is her quiet, monumental composure that truly strikes me during every courtroom appearance.
On May 30, in the courtroom, Mzia Amaglobeli sent a message to her colleagues about the so-called “foreign agents law” and registry: “Don’t stop. Don’t get registered.”
Throughout multiple hearings, Mzia has never once sat down. Confined within a “cage” of glass, she faces each session standing tall. Her lawyers consistently request that Mzia be permitted to sit beside them, free from the glass barrier, to defend her rights adequately. However, Judge Nino Sakhelashvili persistently denies this request, citing nonsensical claims of a “risk of re-offense or attack”.
In her silence, Mzia loudly rejects the label of “attacker” that this oppressive regime has thrust upon her.
Her refusal to sit is a powerful act of defiance, reminiscent of Rosa Parks, who would not yield her rightful seat on a bus. For Mzia Amaglobeli, surrendering to sit in that enclosed space, reserved for dangerous criminals, would equate to admitting guilt — a notion she fiercely opposes. Thus, irrespective of how long the hearings last, Mzia stands firm, embodying quiet strength and unyielding resolve.
She continues to resist, as long as this system of cowardly men, like Irakli Dgebuadze, forces her to. These are men whose leader hides behind bulletproof glass, far removed from the very people he governs.
We often find ourselves asking, ‘What will happen?’ ‘How will we win?’
We will prevail, because we have more than 50 political prisoners, each one unbroken.
They stand tall, like rocks, embodying the determination that will ultimately drive us to victory in this fight.
It is precisely this unshakeable resolve that lights our path forward.
May 16, 2025, Court Hearing of Mzia Amaglobeli, Batumi City Court
On July 21, Mzia was offered a plea deal but only if she admitted to insulting and attacking police officers and acting under “deep state” orders. On the same day, the Revenue Service seized the accounts of Batumelebi and Netgazeti. These actions are calculated attempts to break her spirit. However, when asked if she regrets her actions, Mzia responded with a clarity that leaves no room for misinterpretation:
“This incident happened. If I say I regret it, that would be a lie. It was inevitable. Honestly, I would feel more at peace with myself if I had responded with the right words, but this happened, and I can’t escape it.”
Mzia is our pride and a symbol of our fight; You can never force her into the seat of the accused – nor will she ever admit to a crime she never committed!
