Clooney Foundation condemns treatment of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli

The Clooney Foundation for Justice, led by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and actor George Clooney, continues to monitor the case of Georgian journalist and media founder Mzia Amaglobeli, calling her prosecution a clear example of politically motivated repression.

Following a court hearing held on May 16 in Batumi, the foundation released a statement describing serious concerns about the fairness of the trial. “Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli spent her birthday behind bars this week,” the foundation noted. It highlighted that the court blocked defense testimony about the political motivations behind the charges, prosecutors used disputed past accusations to label her a “repeat offender,” and police denied using aggression against protestors. “Mzia’s case is a chilling reminder of the threats to press freedom in Georgia. The world is watching,” the statement warned.

Amaglobeli, the founder and director of independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has been detained since January 11 and is widely regarded as the first female journalist in Georgia to be considered a political prisoner. Her detention has drawn international condemnation. The European Union, several of its member states, international human rights and press freedom organizations, as well as Georgia’s pro-democracy civil society groups, have all called her imprisonment unlawful and politically motivated.

Also present at the May 16 hearing was Austrian Member of the European Parliament Lena Schilling, who stated that the proceedings bore no resemblance to the rule of law and described Amaglobeli as “the voice of the entire protest movement.”

Since March 18, the Clooney Foundation for Justice has been actively observing Amaglobeli’s trial, underscoring the growing international concern over political persecution and the erosion of democratic freedoms in Georgia.