28 Georgian Diaspora Organizations and Emigrant Unions Issue Joint Statement on Mzia Amaglobeli’s Case.
Batumelebi presents the complete statement without edits:
“In the coming days, the so-called court of Georgian Dream plans to issue a verdict against Mzia Amaglobeli. By doing so, the regime will essentially be signing its sentence as well.
We, the diaspora organizations and emigrant unions, call on the repressive regime and its representatives: immediately and unconditionally release Mzia Amaglobeli!
If not, we will spare no time or effort to ensure that anyone involved in fabricating the politically motivated, baseless, and unlawful case against Mzia, anyone who commits violence against her, misleads the public, or prepares, facilitates, or issues the so-called court verdict, will be held fully and fairly accountable before a free and democratic justice system.
We promise that these individuals will face the strictest personal sanctions, and their names will forever be remembered as servants of a violent and treacherous regime.
Mzia Amaglobeli is a highly respected professional and exemplary citizen currently being tortured by the system. Her health is deteriorating due to unlawful imprisonment. A repressive regime is targeting her, and what we are witnessing is a systemic crime against an illegally detained citizen.
The Georgian public is fighting against this repressive, anti-Georgian regime. This struggle is about freeing prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, ensuring free and European elections, and achieving the complete defeat of the repressive regime known as Georgian Dream.”
The statement is signed by:
- Platform 2025
- Georgian Community in Cyprus – “Strength in Unity”
- Members of the Georgian Diaspora in Denmark
- “Georgian Americans for Progress”
- Association “Tamarieli”
- “Generations for Georgia”
- Georgian Community in Austria
- Stuttgart Group
- International Center of Georgian Emigrants (ICGE), Belgium
- “Generations for Georgia” – Italy
- “Georgians in Australia and New Zealand”
- “Tskhratvala”
- Umbrella Organization of Georgian Cultural Groups in Estonia – “Georgian House”
- Groups of Georgian Emigrants in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia
- Pulse of Georgia
- Representatives of the Georgian Diaspora in Sweden
- League of Georgians in Stuttgart
- “Georgian Women in Spain”
- Georgian Community in Kaunas
- Georgian Society in Poland
- “Georgian Canadians for Progress”
- GeoVoice, USA
- “Georgia Seen from France”
- “Freedom Fund,” United Kingdom
- Dasi, Switzerland
- Georgian Association in Norway – “Kreba”
- “Institute of Georgian Emigration and Diaspora,” Italy
- Georgian Initiative Group in the Czech Republic
Mzia Amaglobeli’s final court hearing at the Batumi City Court is scheduled for August 1 at 13:00, with a verdict likely to be issued on the same day.
What You Need to Know
Mzia Amaglobeli is the co-founder and director of the media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. She has been unlawfully imprisoned for almost seven months, with the prosecution accusing her of attacking a police officer after slapping one.
According to leading human rights defenders, the act of slapping, which caused no harm, does not constitute assault and is not a criminal offense at all. Even the Supreme Court has established that a slap does not qualify as an attack.
Leading global press freedom organizations have rallied around Mzia Amaglobeli’s case. Representatives from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) visited the women’s prison colony in Rustavi on July 13 to show their solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli. They also attended the court hearing in Batumi on July 14.
The European Parliament’s resolution includes a demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of Mzia Amaglobeli and the dropping of all politically motivated charges against her.” The resolution also expresses “deep concern over the critical deterioration of her vision while in custody” and calls for her immediate access to reliable medical care.
Mzia Amaglobeli’s case is currently under review by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
