Georgian emigrants have launched a movement called Mzia, inspired by imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaglobeli to unite all of today’s political prisoners under one symbol, strengthen resistance against the ruling regime, mobilize supporters at home and abroad, and create a unified agenda for freedom. The Mzia List is a key component of this effort.
Koki Ionatamishvili has lived in Latvia for 13 years. He is a co-founder of the civic movement Platform 2025 and has collaborated with like-minded individuals to establish a new initiative called Movement Mzia.
Emigrants view journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who is imprisoned by the Georgian Dream regime, as a symbol of contemporary resistance. They believe that if the resistance has a clear agenda, such as that of Movement Mzia, and if people start to connect, victory will come sooner.
Batumelebi spoke with Koki Ionatamishvili:
- Mr. Ionatamishvili, can you tell us about the Movement Mzia? How do you intend to support the regime’s prisoners?
Movement Mzia began symbolically with a video collage showcasing emigrants sharing their messages. This was merely the symbolic start of the movement. It was Mzia Amaglobeli’s sacrifice and perseverance that ignited this struggle.
Platform 2025 is one of several organizations that provided foundational support for the formal launch of Movement – Mzia. It is not a political party and does not belong to any specific organization. No one owns the idea and initiative. These organizations have coordinated and agreed on the framework, structure, and all other aspects in a coalition format.
We must work to enhance coordination among emigrant groups as well as between groups in Georgia, alongside media organizations and civic activists who are fighting against this repressive and inhumane regime.
When we mention Mzia, we are referring to all the regime’s prisoners. Our video collage also features the parents of student Zviad Tsetskhladze, as well as the mother of Andro Kvaratskhelia, and we are grateful to them for their contributions. We are advocating for the release of every prisoner, and Mzia’s name symbolizes our resistance movement and our struggle for freedom.
Within the framework of this movement, we want to strengthen the mobilization of supporters. For example, one possible direction is to improve the sanctions policy. We aim to establish the term Mzia List, which will include all those who fabricate these cases, who commit violence, perjury, and declare black to be white. Many of them are representatives of law enforcement agencies.
🟥”We will fight everywhere before it’s too late” – A new platform, #MziaMovement, uniting the Georgian diaspora in the US, Canada, UK, Australia & EU countries, has launched.
🎯Its goal: freeing political prisoners & pushing sanctions against GD regime officials involved in… pic.twitter.com/p7QPWP9LqH— ბათუმელები • Batumelebi.ge (@Batumelebi_ge) September 8, 2025
- Who has already been included in the Mzia List?
We are just beginning our coordinated efforts, so no one has been included yet. At this stage, we are gathering information from individual lawyers and civic organizations.
Mzia Amaglobeli has demonstrated to all of us what true principles look like. She has shown that the unique strength of Georgian women is not a myth, but a reality. Emigrant groups are committing to Mzia that we will do everything we can to support her cause.
Our goal is to make the Movement – Mzia accessible to everyone who cares about Georgia. Anyone can record and share a video using the hashtag #MziaMovement. We do not have a dedicated social media page; instead, we want to connect with people.
We will organize activities both in Georgia and abroad, including collaborations with Western media and active engagement with politicians. Many emigrant groups have strong connections and valuable experience. We will also translate any necessary documents into several languages immediately. Emigrants are handling this themselves. We must collaborate to ensure that these individuals are sanctioned. We will hold meetings with politicians and active groups to advocate for increased sanctions and support. For us, this framework is clear and actionable. This approach will help grow our support and strengthen the sanctions policy against the “Dream” government.
We want those who appear on the Mzia List to feel the pressure—photos of these individuals should also be circulated on social media, so as many people as possible can know who is on the Mzia List.
- In your opinion, what does the resistance need most at this stage to strengthen itself? What factors influence the survival of democracy in Georgia?
Despite facing significant challenges and artificial, imposed agendas, the resistance movement remains resilient and poised to take an essential step toward victory. We must develop our own agenda. The entire resistance movement should not solely focus on reacting to the decisions made by the “Dream” party.
A large part of us emigrants believe that Movement – Mzia is such an agenda. It does not oppose or hinder any of the existing plans for fighting this regime; on the contrary, it strengthens them. We want to work actively with every group and succeed in involving those people who currently support “Dream,” or those who do not, but who practically do nothing — not even on social media — so that the resistance movement becomes stronger. These people are our sisters and brothers; we must show them somehow that their voice matters.
