On November 11, the Court of Appeals in Kutaisi began hearing the case of Mzia Amaglobeli.
Her lawyers are appealing the verdict delivered on August 6 by Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili, which sentenced Amaglobeli to two years in prison.
The defense is seeking her full acquittal. The prosecution has also appealed, demanding conviction under the original charge of “attacking a police officer” and requesting a prison sentence of 4 to 7 years.
The reporting judge in the appellate panel is Nikoloz Margvelashvili, joined by Judges Marina Siradze and Nana Jokhadze.
The hearing took place in a small, 24-seat courtroom, leaving many of Amaglobeli’s colleagues, friends, family, and supporters unable to attend. Before the session began, they held a symbolic rally outside the courthouse, distributing a special printed newspaper titled “Mzia Amaglobeli – Accused of Truth.” The newspaper containeს headlines of major stories published by Amaglobeli’s media outlets since 2001. The hearing itself proceeded amid chants of support from Amaglobeli’s supporters gathered outside, who were not allowed to enter the courtyard.
Journalists, citizens, and friends who came to attend Mzia Amaglobeli’s appeal hearing in Kutaisi are being denied entry to the courthouse yard. November 11, 2025
Judge Nikoloz Margvelashvili opened the session by explaining Amaglobeli’s rights and then asked, “Are there ongoing negotiations regarding a plea agreement?”
“No,” replied prosecutor Tornike Gogeshvili.
Defense lawyer Kakha Tsereteli motioned to move the hearing to a larger courtroom, explaining that many people had come from other cities and wanted to attend.
Judge Margvelashvili responded that the matter had already been discussed, but there was no larger courtroom available that day. He said the request would be considered for the next session.
Defense lawyer Maia Mtsariashvili filed motions to admit additional evidences:
She listed the awards and honors Mzia Amaglobeli has received in recent months from international organizations, including the Sakharov Prize.
All of these awards, Mtsariashvili noted, were given for Amaglobeli’s ethical journalism, defense of human rights, and struggle for freedom and democracy.
She also requested that the court admit documents confirming correspondence with the Georgian Technical University and the High Council of Justice. These letters concern the defense’s request to verify Judge Nino Sakhelashvili’s academic qualifications in criminal law. The defense had raised this issue multiple times during the city court proceedings, arguing that Sakhelashvili lacked the required competence to preside over a criminal case.
Mtsariashvili urged the appellate panel to consider that, to this day, they have not received any documentation confirming the education of the judge who sentenced Amaglobeli to two years in prison.
Additionally, Mtsariashvili submitted letters to the medical department of the penitentiary and the Chichua Medical Center Mzera regarding measures to address the deterioration of Amaglobeli’s health, with particular emphasis on her worsening eyesight.
Another motion concerned the request submitted to prosecutors office to return of Amaglobeli’s mobile phone and other personal belongings, which, according to the lawyer, have still not been returned. As a reminder, the court had earlier granted the investigation access to Amaglobeli’s phone and its data after an investigator claimed that she had acted on “instructions” received through the device. The prosecutor stated that the results of the forensic examination have not yet been received, and therefore, returning the phone is “physically impossible” at this stage.
The judge asked Amaglobeli if she had any questions or comments regarding the admissible evidence.
🔴#Georgia’s imprisoned journalist and #SakharovPrize2025 Laureate, Mzia Amaglobeli, was brought from Rustavi Prison to the Kutaisi Court of Appeals.
On November 11, the court began hearing her case. The defense seeks to overturn her two-year sentence and clear her name, while… pic.twitter.com/fS4Q29kegz
— ბათუმელები • Batumelebi.ge (@Batumelebi_ge) November 11, 2025
“I do have a question about the phone — on what grounds is the forensic examination being conducted? For which case exactly?” she asked the prosecutor.
Prosecutor Tornike Gogeshvili replied that the phone was seized and examined as part of the current case but that the results, ordered months ago, have still not been delivered.
– “As far as I know, the witness who initially requested the phone examination was removed from the case list,” Amaglobeli remarked.
– “Yes, the author of that report was indeed removed,” confirmed Gogeshvili.
Defense lawyer Mtsariashvili clarified to the court that the phone examination had been ordered based on a report submitted by investigator Vladimir Chitaia, who, citing an “anonymous source,” alleged that Amaglobeli had been instructed by someone to slap police officer Dgebuadze. Eventually, the prosecution itself requested the removal of Chitaia from witness list and his request for court order from the case, which, according to Mtsariashvili, proves that even the prosecutors no longer consider the report credible — yet the phone remains under examination.
– “I’d like to know the expected date for completing the examination. When will it end?” asked Amaglobeli.
– “It might be completed by the end of this month,” replied prosecutor Gogeshvili.
“Sanctions! As many as possible,” Amaglobeli responded when the judge asked if she wished to add anything following her lawyer’s remarks. Earlier, lawyer Mtsariashvili had been discussing the issue sanctioning Judge Nino Sakhelashvili as one of the grounds for seeking her recusal. It should be noted that the prosecutors in this case, Tornike Gogeshvili and Shota Chkhaidze, have also been sanctioned.
The court granted the defense’s motions to admit Amaglobeli’s international awards as additional evidence, to include pieces of correspondence regarding her health, and to attach the letter sent to the Prosecutor’s Office demanding the return of her personal belongings, including her mobile phone.
However, the court rejected the motion to admit correspondence regarding Judge Sakhelashvili’s education and diploma.
The court also refused to review appeals against motions that Sakhelashvili had rejected during the city court proceedings — these included requests to recuse the judge, to summon the police officers who signed Amaglobeli’s administrative arrest report, and to question Irakli Kobakhidze and other senior officials of the ruling Georgian Dream party who had publicly accused Amaglobeli of slapping a police officer on someone’s orders and of attempting to discredit the police and the Georgian state.
For the first time, Mzia Amaglobeli was allowed to address the court from outside the glass cell and sit beside her lawyers while delivering her statement.
In its argument, the prosecution insisted that the case should revert to the original charge and that Amaglobeli should be convicted under Article 353¹ of Criminal Code of Georgia – Attacking a police officer, which carries a penalty of four to seven years in prison.
This is instead of the two-year sentence she received under part one of 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.
At the end of the session, the court set the dates for the next hearings — closing arguments — for November 14 at 14:00 and November 18 at 13:00.
The verdict is expected to be announced on November 18 or in the following days.
