The Clooney Foundation for Justice has announced that it will monitor the trial of Mzia Amaglobeli, an independent Georgian journalist and founder of the online media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti.
The trial, which has raised concerns over press freedom in Georgia, is being followed closely by international human rights organizations.
TrialWatch, an initiative of the Clooney Foundation, will oversee proceedings to assess whether the case meets international fair trial standards. Amaglobeli was arrested on January 11 after placing a sticker on the fence of a police station in Batumi, in Georgia’s west, in support of nationwide protests against the government’s decision late last year to halt EU integration until 2028.
The Clooney Foundation said Amaglobeli could face up to seven years in prison. The statement highlighted that she had been denied bail three times, with judges reportedly disregarding the arguments of her defense team. The foundation further reported that she was threatened and spat on by the city’s police chief following her arrest. In protest, she undertook a 38-day hunger strike while in custody.
The Georgian Center for Media, Information, and Social Research has documented over 90 cases of law enforcement officers allegedly attacking or obstructing journalists in the country. The case of Amaglobeli, the foundation warned, reflected a broader pattern of media suppression and police violence in Georgia.
Amaglobeli was initially detained for placing a protest sticker reading “Georgia goes on strike”. She was released but later re-arrested for allegedly slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a confrontation with police. The charge of assaulting a police officer carries a sentence of four to seven years in prison.
Her legal team argued that her detention was based on a forged protocol. Video footage, they claim, contradicted the official police account. The prosecution’s case rested on this disputed evidence, and Amaglobeli has remained in custody since January 14, when Batumi City Court ordered her pretrial detention.
Subsequent appeals have been unsuccessful. On February 14, Judge Levan Kolbaia ruled her defense team’s petition inadmissible. On February 19, Kutaisi Court of Appeal Judge Vera Dolidze also refused to review the case.
Amal and George Clooney’s foundation has provided legal support in over 40 countries, advocating for journalists and defending human rights.
