Mzia Amaglobeli is the first woman journalist to be imprisoned since Georgia regained independence in 1991. She is the founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, two internationally respected media outlets renowned for their high journalistic standards. She was arrested during the night of January 11–12, 2025, following an altercation at a protest in which she slapped a police officer, and was sentenced in August to two years in prison. The decision to pursue serious criminal charges against her for allegedly assaulting a police officer has been widely criticized as politically motivated.
Her imprisonment comes amid an increasingly authoritarian shift and an escalating crackdown on the media by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has faced sustained mass protests since its decision in late 2024 to suspend European Union accession talks. Authorities have restricted media financing through so-called “foreign agent” legislation and other measures, while journalists covering demonstrations have been violently attacked. Georgia’s standing in Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index has sharply deteriorated, falling from 77th place in 2023 to 114th in 2025.
Despite being put on trial and later imprisoned, Amaglobeli has continued to speak out in defense of democratic values and press freedom from her prison cell. In recognition of her courage, the European Parliament awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in December 2025.
“Today it is me; tomorrow it could be anyone who dares to envision a fair, democratic, European Georgia, free from Russian influence and oppression,” she said shortly after her arrest.
Authorities have failed to properly investigate allegations that Amaglobeli was unlawfully detained before her arrest, that a police chief spat on her afterward, and that she was denied necessities such as access to water and a toilet. Senior officials, including the prime minister, have promoted conspiracy theories claiming she acted on behalf of opposition forces or foreign actors. At the same time, the bank accounts of her media outlets were frozen based on questionable tax allegations.
Amaglobeli suffers from keratoconus, a degenerative eye condition, and her vision has significantly worsened while in custody. One eye now retains only 10 percent vision, while the other is limited to light perception.
At Free Press Alliance, we reiterate our call for the immediate release of Mzia Amaglobeli and for an end to the systematic targeting of independent journalists in Georgia. Her imprisonment is emblematic of a broader effort to silence critical media and suppress democratic dissent. We urge Georgian authorities to uphold their international obligations on press freedom and human rights, ensure adequate medical care for Amaglobeli, and guarantee that journalists can work freely without fear of retaliation or politicized prosecution.