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.”
At a court hearing held on March 12, 2025, Radio Liberty producer Beka Beradze was issued a verbal warning by the court for disobeying police orders.
Beradze was detained on the night of December 1, 2024, during a pro-European protest in Tbilisi, on Ingorokva Street, along with several companions. He was taken to a temporary detention facility in Sagarejo and released 48 hours later without being charged. Visible injuries were observed on Beradze’s face, which, according to Radio Liberty reports, resulted from violence by riot police.
On March 12, 2025, police contacted Beradze to inform him that his court hearing was scheduled to take place within the hour. He was being charged with disobeying a police order. According to Beradze, he and his lawyer were given only one hour to review the case materials.
On March 15, 2025, Mountain Stories founder and editor Gela Mtivlishvili wrote on social media that he and a companion were attacked by police officers.
“We were returning to Tbilisi when a white pickup truck with the license plate BJ-573-BB started following us. Since it was creating a dangerous situation on the road, we pulled over. An armed employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and another person jumped out of the truck. The armed officer was shouting, asking why I hadn’t let him pass, cursing, and threatening me. When I tried to record the incident, he attacked me, struck me three times, and tried to take my phone. Eyewitnesses recorded the attack on video. The armed man demanded they delete the footage as well,” Mtivlishvili stated.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Gela Mtivlishvili has been targeted in attacks allegedly linked to Georgian Dream.
On March 17, 2025, Tbilisi City Court held a hearing in the case of Publika reporter Aleksandre Keshelashvili. He had been charged with disobeying police orders; the court issued him a verbal warning.
Keshelashvili was covering a pro-European protest on November 29 of the previous year when police used force to detain and physically assault him. That same night, he was hospitalized with multiple injuries and underwent emergency surgery; he had sustained fractures to his facial bones.
In December, the Publika reporter filed a complaint with the Special Investigation Service, requesting an investigation into the physical violence used against him while performing his professional duties. Despite being officially recognized as a victim in that case, the court still delivered a guilty verdict today and issued him a verbal warning for disobeying police orders.
On March 18, 2025, Batumi City Court Judge Salikh Shainidze found Mzia Amaglobeli, co-founder and director of Netgazeti and Batumelebi, guilty of a misdemeanor and fined her 2,000 GEL for placing a sticker on a police building.
Mzia Amaglobeli was arrested twice during the night of January 11–12, 2025. She was first detained for posting a sticker on the 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 arrested again — this time on criminal charges — for allegedly slapping police chief Irakli Dgebuadze.
She remains in pre-trial detention in connection with the criminal case. Her detention is being closely monitored not only by local NGOs but also by prominent international organizations.
On March 19, 2025, two more journalists reported on social media that they had been fined on the grounds of “road obstruction.”
Among them was OC Media founder and photographer Mariam Nikuradze, who received two separate fine notices totaling 10,000 GEL. Law enforcement authorities accuse Nikuradze of illegally blocking the road on March 11 and March 15. The journalist plans to appeal both fines.That same day, Radio Tbilisi journalist Merab Merkviladze received notice of a 5,000 GEL fine. He shared the information on his Facebook page.
On March 30, 2025, Italian media outlet NurPhoto’s photojournalist Jérôme Chobeau was denied entry into Georgia.
This is not the first time journalists have been refused entry into Georgia:
- On February 12, 2025, journalist Clément Girardeau was denied entry at the Georgian border.
- On December 30, 2024, Belgian journalist Witse De Geest was not allowed to enter Georgia.
- On October 26, 2024, IFJGlobal journalist Stefan Goss was denied entry.
- On September 16, 2024, Belarusian journalist and activist Andrei Mialeshka was refused entry into Georgia.
The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders responded to these incidents, criticizing the decisions and stating that journalists are being punished for covering protest rallies.
On April 28, 2025, Batumi City Court ruled to keep Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the online outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, in pretrial detention. The decision was announced by Judge Nino Sakhelashvili.
As a reminder, Mzia Amaghlobeli was initially detained under administrative charges on January 11 of this year and, just hours later on January 12, was charged under criminal law.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on her behalf.
On April 17, 2025, Indigo journalist Saba Sordia was fined 2,500 GEL by Tbilisi City Court Judge Zviad Tsekvava. The journalist had been charged with disobedience to police.
Saba Sordia was detained on April 6 near Metro Station in Tbilisi. At the time of his arrest, he was not carrying out journalistic duties. According to his lawyer, Mariam Kavelashvili, the journalist was stopped for a “superficial inspection” and, after presenting his ID, was asked to fully open his bag. When Sordia responded that he would open the bag pockets himself, this was interpreted as noncompliance. By that point, the police already knew he was a journalist by profession.
Following his arrest, Saba Sordia spent 48 hours in a pretrial detention facility. He later stated that officers in the patrol car attempted to humiliate him over an earring he was wearing. His work-issued GoPro camera was also confiscated. The first court hearing in his case took place on April 8, and the verdict was announced on April 17.
The Media Advocacy Coalition has called this yet another instance of repressive policies targeting the media.
On April 6, 2025, Indigo journalist Saba Sordia was detained near the Rustaveli Metro station. He is currently being held in the Digomi detention facility.
“Saba Sordia, a journalist from Indigo, has been unlawfully detained. He complied with police instructions — he opened his bag and provided his ID. When officers attempted to open the back pocket of his bag, Saba told them he would do it himself. This was interpreted as disobedience, and he was taken to the police station, then quickly transferred to the detention facility. He had a camera with him, which is now sealed. The police knew he was a journalist. Despite this, he remains in custody,” wrote Indigo’s executive director, Nata Dzevelishvili.
According to a statement released by Indigo, Saba Sordia’s detention has been extended, and it remains unclear when his court hearing will take place. The Media Advocacy Coalition responded to the detention, stating:
“Saba Sordia’s detention is yet another example of the systemic repressive policy against the media, the scale of which is growing by the day. Arresting journalists under the convenient pretext of ‘disobedience to police’ is an abuse of power by law enforcement agencies.”
