Lawyer of detained media manager demands interrogation of Vice Speaker over public accusations

The defence team representing detained media manager Mzia Amaglobeli has called for the interrogation of the Vice Speaker from the ruling Georgian Dream party, Nino Tsilosani, accusing her of making defamatory statements and potentially withholding key information related to the criminal case.

Speaking during Friday’s court hearing at Tbilisi City Court, Amaglobeli’s lawyer, Juba Katamadze, formally requested that Judge Nino Nameshvili attach Tsilosani’s public comments and the lawyer’s written appeal to the case file.

The controversy stems from remarks Tsilosani made on 26 June, in which she accused Amaglobeli of physically assaulting a police officer “on order, for payment, or as part of [foreign] agency activity.”

“It is anti-standard for a man or a woman to punch another person in the face,” Tsilosani told journalists at the time. “Especially when that person is a police officer who is there to protect citizens, and especially when the act is commissioned.”

Katamadze argued that the allegations go beyond opinion and amount to a formal claim regarding motive and coordination - a matter of potential evidentiary value to the court.

“Nino Tsilosani spoke in affirmative terms about the alleged incident,” Katamadze said outside the courtroom. “We want to know what information she possesses. If her claims are not slander, then she must explain the basis of her statements. Otherwise, we will initiate defamation proceedings.”

The lawyer stated that he has submitted an official request for Tsilosani’s questioning to the parliamentary staff, but has yet to receive a direct response.

Nameshvili has not ruled on whether Tsilosani will be summoned for questioning.

Amaglobeli’s case has drawn increasing attention from press freedom advocates, who view her arrest and pre-trial detention as part of a broader crackdown on dissent in Georgia.