Batumi court nears verdict in case of detained media manager Amaglobeli amid criticism over politically charged proceedings

Batumi City Court in western Georgia is nearing the conclusion of proceedings against detained media manager Mzia Amaghlobeli, co-founder and director of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, who is facing criminal charges for allegedly slapping a police officer during a January pro-European protest. 

Judge Nino Sakhelashvili is expected to hear Amaghlobeli’s final statement today, after which a verdict is anticipated in the coming days.

At the beginning of her closing remarks, Amaghlobeli turned attention to another detainee, activist Nino Datashvili, who is being held in the same detention facility. “At one of the previous hearings I said, things outside are unfolding so dramatically, I can’t even concentrate on my own case,” Amaghlobeli told the court. “She’s being held in the same facility as I am, but we’re kept so isolated that we haven’t even accidentally crossed paths.”

“Be strong, Nino – you’re not alone!” she declared.

Her comments followed a report from Datashvili’s lawyer on 2 August that the court had approved a request for the activist to undergo involuntary psychiatric examination. Amaghlobeli reacted emotionally to the news in court, saying: “When I found out that Nino had been forcibly transferred to a psychiatric clinic by the Prosecutor’s Office, I broke down… Sometimes, I’ve been so overcome with anger I’ve cried, my voice shakes - tell me, dear prosecutors, should I be sent for a psychiatric check too?”

Amaghlobeli acknowledged that her original closing remarks were intended to focus on Netgazeti and Batumelebi, but the situation involving Datashvili compelled her to speak out.

The high-profile case against Amaghlobeli stems from an incident on 11 January during a protest in Batumi against halted EU integration, where she allegedly slapped a police official Irakli Dgebuadze. Initially detained under administrative charges, she was released and then rearrested hours later under Article 353(1) of Georgia’s Criminal Code - which addresses assault on law enforcement and carries a penalty of four to seven years in prison.

At a marathon court session on 1 August, her defence lawyer, Maia Mtsariashvili, delivered a detailed 90-page final statement, arguing the case was politically motivated and symptomatic of “broader repression against independent media.” The government, she asserted, had “convicted her in advance.”

Rights groups, legal experts, and international observers have widely condemned the prosecution as disproportionate and politically driven. They also pointed to the impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers accused of using excessive force against journalists and protesters, none of whom have been held accountable.

Amaghlobeli’s health condition - specifically, her deteriorating eyesight due to keratoconus - has raised additional concerns. Medical documents from the Vivamedi clinic reported that she now has only 30% vision in her right eye and just 0.04% in her left. She also staged a 38-day hunger strike following her arrest, during which she was hospitalised.

On 31 July, a coalition of media and human rights organisations issued a joint statement urging the Georgian government to drop the charges and release Amaghlobeli immediately, citing the need to safeguard press freedom in the country.

Outside Batumi City Court, dozens of supporters gathered once again today, chanting “Freedom for Mzia!” and holding a large banner bearing the same message.