At the appellate hearing of Mzia Amaglobeli, lawyer Maia Mtsariashvili described her client’s integrity, her lack of political or economic influence, and law-abiding life, stressing that given Amaglobeli is recognized as a prisoner of conscience, it is now the court’s responsibility to determine whether Georgia truly functions as a rule-of-law state. She stated:
“Today, I represent Mzia, the laureate of the European Union’s highest award, the Sakharov Prize. She received this prestigious honor for her contribution to the protection of human rights and freedom of expression.
In December, her star will be unveiled in front of the European Parliament.
Mzia’s criminal case is now part of the civilized world’s agenda. Nothing can erase that.
Honorable judges,
The Sakharov Prize and other awards like it are not merely a matter of prestige — they represent an international legal assessment.
When Europe’s highest institutions recognize a Georgian citizen as a prisoner of conscience, we must ask: Is Georgia truly a rule-of-law state?
The responsibility to answer that question falls to you today.
Yes, today I represent Mzia, who:
Has never had, and does not have, any (political or economical) power;
Has never been corrupt and has never accepted illegal income from anyone;
Owns an apartment worth far less than a million and could never have paid such a large bail with her property (her apartment is likely worth no more than 100,000 GEL, which is roughly the only offer her lawyers could make for her release, an offer the city court clearly disregarded);
Has never lived in luxury;
Has never owned expensive cars, items, or works of art;
Has never broken the law, not even crossing a restricted road;
Has never even had her home searched, because it was well known that not a single illegal penny could be found there;
Yes, she has lost her sight, which is the responsibility of the state — and, at the same time, of the judiciary.
Yes, she is characterized by exceptional integrity (something even the court found difficult to note) and manages a single office room on the fourth floor of Batumelebi, serving as the manager of two trusted and highly reputable media outlets, Batumelebi and Netgazeti.
I hope this court will acknowledge these indisputable facts and take them into account”.
On 18 November, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals is expected to deliver its verdict in Mzia Amaglobeli’s case.
The panel of judges consists of Nikoloz Margvelashvili (presiding judge), Marina Siradze, and Nana Jokhadze.
Prosecutors Tornike Gogeshvili and Shota Chkhaidze are seeking to toughen the verdict issued by the Batumi City Court and to increase her prison sentence not to 2 years, but to between 4 and 7 years.
The defense is requesting that Mzia Amaglobeli be declared not guilty and released.
At today’s hearing, the defense lawyers will deliver their closing statements.
