Judge Nino Sakhelashvili has sentenced journalist Mzia Amaglobeli to 2 years in prison, ignoring widespread calls from local and international human rights and press freedom organizations to release her and end what they describe as politically motivated prosecution tied to her journalism.
In accordance with the ruling, the time Mzia Amaglobeli has spent in pre-trial detention will be credited toward her sentence. The defense has announced its intention to appeal the verdict before the Court of Appeals.
The verdict comes as the bank account of Amaglobeli’s media outlets remains under seizure, and recent medical reports reveal a severe decline in her eyesight — leaving her with just 10% vision in one eye, correctable to 30% with glasses, and only light perception in the other.
In a notable development, the judge reclassified the charges. Amaglobeli was initially charged under Criminal Code of Geogria, Article 353¹ – Attacking a police officer, employee of the Special Penitentiary Service or other representative of authority or a public institution – which carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison. However, the final sentencing was made under part one of the Article 353 – Resistance, threat, or violence against a protector of public order or other representative of the authorities – a lesser charge punishable by a fine, house arrest for up to two years, or imprisonment for two to six years.
Mzia Amaglobeli‘s defense team delivered the closing statement to the court on August 1, while Amaglobeli herself did it on August 4, stating that the prosecution’s offer of a plea deal was unacceptable and offensive to her.
She was arrested on January 12, 2025, on criminal charges and has been held in pretrial detention for over 200 days. Despite the lack of legal grounds to keep her in custody, Judge Sakhelashvili extended her detention, effectively keeping her in unlawful imprisonment.
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.
