“Fight before it is too late”: arrest of Georgian journalist signals media crackdown

In the early hours of January 11, 2025, Georgian journalist and media director Mzia Amaglobeli was arrested during a protest outside the Police Department in Batumi, Georgia. As the co-founder and director of independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Amaglobeli has been a prominent figure in Georgian journalism since 2001. 

Amaglobeli’s arrest came against the backdrop of Georgia’s deepening democratic backsliding and open assault on independent media. Since the ruling Georgian Dream party’s controversial decision to halt Georgia’s EU accession talks in late November, protests have erupted across the country. In response, the government resorted to violent crackdowns, with journalists frequently targeted both by police forces and pro-government mobs. Almost 50 media professionals faced physical or verbal attacks, according to the European Centre of Press and Media Freedom. Several of them – including one female TV reporter – were beaten, suffered head injuries and required hospitalization. 

Arrest and charges 

The initial arrest of Mzia Amaglobeli occurred when she participated in a demonstration demanding the release of a detained colleague. She was accused of putting up a sticker on the outside wall of the police department building – an action recently made illegal in the government’s attempt to stifle demonstrations. Amaglobeli was released, but she returned to the protest spot as tensions escalated. There, she had an altercation with Batumi’s police chief Irakli Dgebuadze, followed by her second arrest. According to Amaglobeli’s lawyers, Dgebuadze threatened and insulted the journalist, after which she slapped him. Lawyers also maintain Dgebuadze personally participated in the arrest and even spat at Amaglobeli in the process. She was also denied access to the bathroom in the police station. 

Mzia Amaglobeli was charged with assaulting a police officer and faces four to seven years in prison. 

Hunger strike

Amaglobeli commenced a hunger strike on January 12, the first day of her pre-trial detention. She explained her motivation in a letter sent from her prison cell:

“These processes have been unfolding over the past year and are embedding themselves into our daily lives as a dictatorship. Freedom is far more valuable than life, and it is at stake. Fight before it is too late […] I will not bow to this regime. I will not play by its rules.”

These processes have been unfolding over the past year and are embedding themselves into our daily lives as a dictatorship. Freedom is far more valuable than life, and it is at stake. Fight before it is too late […] I will not bow to this regime. I will not play by its rules

On February 4, Amaglobeli was hospitalized, as doctors feared a potential organ failure. On. February 18 – after 38 days of refusing food and surviving solely on water – Amaglobeli stopped the hunger strike. In another letter, she said she hoped her gesture would alleviate the burden on her colleagues, friends and family members. 

Amaglobeli’s trial is set for March 4, almost two months after her initial detention. She remains in the hospital under the doctors’ supervision. 

Domestic and international reactions

Georgian journalists and civil society organizations were quick to rally in Amaglobeli’s defense. Over 300 local journalists, media managers and editors sent a plea to international organizations and diplomatic missions, calling for her immediate release from custody. Over 50 media organizations went on a strike on January 14, shutting down broadcasts and websites, to show what the country “would look like without critical media.” 

Journalists and civil society organizations have been organizing marches and protest rallies for Mzia Amaglobeli, but authorities remain firm in their decision to keep the journalist detained. “Mzia Amaglobeli’s offence was in no way related to journalistic activities; she was acting there as a party activist. Therefore, linking this incident to the media is pure speculation,”  the Georgian Dream’s Irakli Kobakhidze said in late January. Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze echoed the sentiment by saying Amaglobeli should first apologize for the mistake she made by attacking “a dignified police officer.” 

Multiple international organizations – among them, the International Federation of Journalists, Media Freedom Coalition and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom – have called for Amaglobeli’s immediate and unconditional release. The International Press Institute posted a statement that has garnered support from 95 organizations and over 200 individuals. This statement remains open for additional signatures. (Editor’s note: disclosure – The Fix Media is among the organizations that signed the statement).

On the political level, Amaglobeli’s case has reached major European institutions. Members of the European Parliament and national parliamentarians issued a joint statement demanding her immediate release, along with other political prisoners detained during pro-European demonstrations in Georgia. The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos expressed solidarity with the journalist and described her as “a symbol of courage of all those unjustly detained” in Georgia. 

How will it end? 

Amaglobeli’s initial appearance in court with the Georgian copy of Maria Ressa’s book “How to Stand Up to a Dictator”, quickly turned her into a token of resilience for colleagues, protesters and other political prisoners in the country. The image of Amaglobeli’s defiance has reached Ressa, who expressed her solidarity with the journalist on X and provided context of her arrest. 

Amaglobeli is not on the hunger strike anymore but despite the apparent passing of the most immediate threat to her life, her health remains in jeopardy – Amaglobeli is slowly restarting food intake and faces a long process of rehabilitation, potentially behind bars. Yet, even in custody, she is widely seen as a symbol of journalists’ defiance in an increasingly authoritarian regime. For many in Georgia, the outcome of Mzia Amaglobeli’s case is an indicator of survival – it will show whether free press can withstand or not in the country and ultimately, in the region. 

Source of the cover photo: Jelger Groeneveld, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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