Kutaisi Court of Appeal fails to address Mzia Amaglobeli’s pre-trial detention appeal

The Kutaisi Court of Appeal has declined to review the appeal regarding the pre-trial detention of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, leaving her legal team and supporters in anticipation of a justification for the decision, expected tomorrow.

Amaglobeli was arrested on January 11 under orders from Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. She is accused of “attacking a police officer” following an incident reportedly involving a slap. The charges, which could lead to a prison sentence of 4 to 7 years, have been met with skepticism by her lawyers and human rights advocates, who argue that the allegations lack legal merit.

The Georgian Young Lawyers Association, representing Amaglobeli, and the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, have called for proportionality in the court’s measures. Ioseliani visited Amaglobeli on Tuesday, expressing hope that the appeal court would consider the arguments presented in the amicus curiae’s opinion. However, the appeal has not been addressed.

In a show of solidarity, Georgia’s fifth President Salome Zourabichvili, currently visiting Washington, voiced her support for Amaglobeli, describing her case as part of a “historic struggle for Georgia’s freedom.” Nobel Prize-winning writer Maria Ressa also expressed support, noting the symbolic significance of Amaglobeli bringing her book, How to Defeat a Dictator, to court.

Meanwhile, Revaz Kiknadze, a detainee from a pro-European demonstration, has declared a hunger strike in prison to stand in solidarity with Amaglobeli.