04-03-2025
Batumi
Netgazeti and Batumelebi Co-founder and Director Remains in Pretrial Custody

On March 4, 2025, Batumi City Court Judge Vasil Metreveli ruled to keep Netgazeti and Batumelebi co-founder and director Mzia Amaglobe in pre-trial detention. On that day, the court also began the substantive hearing of her case and reviewed the issue of revising the preventive measure.

Mzia Amaglobeli is being investigated under Article 353¹, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to attacks on police officers, special penitentiary staff, or other public officials or institutions. The charge carries a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison.

Amaglobeli was arrested twice during the night of January 11–12. She was initially detained for posting a sticker on a police building that read: “Georgia Goes on Strike.” She was released a few hours later on a written pledge. However, shortly after her release, she was re-arrested for allegedly slapping the police chief, Irakli Dgebuadze.

According to Netgazeti, the incident was preceded by a clash and crowding between demonstrators and police, triggered by provocative actions from the police.The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), which is representing Amaglobeli, stated that “Mzia Amaglobeli is not only being held unlawfully, but the Georgian judiciary has demonstratively stripped her of the right to defend herself and prove her innocence.”

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04-03-2025
1
Detention/Arrest
Court
Persecution based on professional grounds
Batumi