Fifth President Zourabichvili calls jailed media manager ‘symbol of press freedom’ on 100th day of detention

Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, on Tuesday marked 100 days since the arrest of media manager Mzia Amaglobeli, condemning her continued detention and describing her as a “symbol of press freedom” in a statement on social media.

Posting on platform X, Zourabichvili wrote “100 days have passed since the unjust imprisonment of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli. She has become a symbol of press freedom amid escalating crackdowns on independent media in the region”.

Amaglobeli was detained on 11 January during a protest in Batumi against halted EU integration and later charged under Article 353 of the Criminal Code for allegedly slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. The charge – assault on a police officer – carries a potential prison sentence of four to seven years.

Her arrest has sparked criticism from rights groups and media watchdogs, who view the case as part of a broader crackdown on press freedom in Georgia.