European journalists speak out in support of Mziya Amaglobeli

European organizations of journalists have issued an appeal to the authorities of Georgia calling them on to stop persecuting Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Netgazeti” and “Batumelebi”online publications, and to investigate the brutal treatment to which she had been subjected.

On January 20, Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Netgazeti”and “Batumelebi” online publications, went on a hunger strike in protest against her arrest. Every day, in Georgia, activists holdrallies in support of Mziya Amaglobeli.

On the night of January 12, ten people were detained in Batumi, including Mziya Amaglobeli. The woman was accused of assaulting a police officer. Mziya Amaglobeli faces up to seven years of imprisonment.

The “International Press Institute” (IPI), the “European Press and Media Freedom Centre” (ECPMF), the “European Federation of Journalists” (EFJ), the “Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa” (OBCT), the “Free Press Unlimited” (FPU), the “Justice for Journalists Foundation” (JFJ), and other international organisations have appealed to the authorities of Georgia.

“We urge the Georgian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mziya Amaglobeli and put an end to this unprecedented crackdown on the media,” reads a statement posted on the website of Media Freedom Rapid Response, a pan-European mechanism that responds to violations of the press and media freedom in EU member states, candidate countries, and Ukraine.

Tamta Mikeladze, the director of the “Centre for Social Justice”NGO, noted that two journalists are currently on hunger strike in prison. In addition to Mziya Amaglobeli, “their number includes Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov, who has been on hunger strike for over 120 days.”

In Tbilisi, a court has dismissed the Afghan Sadygov’s appeal against the decision to extradite him to Azerbaijan. Since September 20, 2024, the Azerbaijani journalist has been on a hunger strike in a Georgian SIZO (pre-trial prison) in protest against his arrest and denial of political asylum.