On Wednesday, October 22, Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov was detained at a protest for blocking the road.
Judge Zviad Tsekvava sentenced the journalist to 14 days of administrative imprisonment.
In recent days, journalists from the TV company “Formula” — Vakho Sanaia, Keta Tsitskishvili, and Tsira Zhvania — were detained on the grounds of blocking the road.
The Parliament of “Georgian Dream” passed amendments to the law that further restrict freedom of assembly and expression. Based on the amendment, more than 80 people have been detained in the past few days.
Both local and international organizations have reacted to the detention of journalists.
“The detention of journalists by ‘Georgian Dream’ is a direct attack on media and freedom of expression. Under such conditions, the work of independent media is under serious threat, which significantly limits the democratic society’s right to be informed,” states the Media Advocacy Coalition’s statement.
On Tuesday, October 21, Tsira Zhvania, a social media journalist for TV Company “Formula”, was detaned for blocking a road during a protest. According to the TV company, she was met by two police officers at her home.
The Tbilisi City Court sentenced the journalist to 10 days of administrative detention.
This is the third case when, based on the tightened legislation, journalists have been detained on the grounds of blocking a road during a protest. On October 19, Vakho Sanaia, a journalist and TV presenter for TV Company “Formula”, was arrested and sentenced to 6 days in prison. On October 20, Keta Tsitskishvili, a journalist for the same TV company, was arrested and sentenced to 5 days in prison. “The arrest of journalists by the Georgian Dream is a direct attack on the freedom of the media and expression. In such conditions, the activities of independent media are facing serious threats, which significantly restricts the right of a democratic society to be informed,” the Media Advocacy Coalition said in a statement.
On Monday, October 20, journalist and TV presenter Keta Tsitskishvili from the TV company Formula was detaned. According to media reports, she is accused of blocking a road. A day earlier, on October 19, journalist Vakho Sanaia was detaned on the same charge and sentenced to five days in prison.
The Media Advocacy Coalition condemned Tsitskishvili’s arrest, calling it an act of pressure and an attack on independent media.
“The arrest of journalists by Georgian Dream is a direct assault on the media and freedom of expression. Under such conditions, the work of independent media faces serious threats, severely limiting the public’s right to information in a democratic society,” the coalition said in a statement.
On October 19, Vakho Sanaia, a journalist and TV presenter for the TV company Formula, was detained. He is accused of blocking a road, and the Tbilisi City Court sentenced him to six days of administrative detention.
That same day, police also arrested several other participants of the rally, accusing them of blocking the road and covering their faces during the protest. The ruling Georgian Dream party recently tightened legislation, replacing fines with imprisonment for concealing one’s face at rallies.
The Media Advocacy Coalition condemned the journalist’s arrest, calling it “a gross violation of media freedom and freedom of speech.”
Judge Nino Sakhelashvili of the Batumi City Court reclassified the charges against the founder of the online publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, and sentenced her to two years in prison.
Mzia Amaglobeli was charged with assaulting a police officer after slapping the Chief of Batumi Police, and was charged under Article 353 Prima of the Criminal Code, which envisions 4 to 7 years in prison. On the day of the verdict, the judge reclassified the charges to Article 353 Part One of the Criminal Code. The article in question refers to resisting a police officer, a special penitentiary service employee or another government official with the aim of obstructing the maintenance of public order, interrupting or changing his activities. The article provides for a fine or house arrest for a term of up to two years or imprisonment for a term of 2 to 6 years.
Mzia Amaglobeli’s attorneys plan to appeal the case after the verdict is handed down.
Mzia Amaglobeli was first arrested on January 11 of this year under administrative law, and a few hours later, on January 12, under criminal law.
Judge Nino Sakhelashvili of the Batumi City Court reclassified the charges against the founder of the online publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, and sentenced her to two years in prison.
Mzia Amaglobeli was charged with assaulting a police officer after slapping the Chief of Batumi Police, and was charged under Article 353 Prima of the Criminal Code, which envisions 4 to 7 years in prison. On the day of the verdict, the judge reclassified the charges to Article 353 Part One of the Criminal Code. The article in question refers to resisting a police officer, a special penitentiary service employee or another government official with the aim of obstructing the maintenance of public order, interrupting or changing his activities. The article provides for a fine or house arrest for a term of up to two years or imprisonment for a term of 2 to 6 years.
Mzia Amaglobeli’s attorneys plan to appeal the case after the verdict is handed down.
Mzia Amaglobeli was first arrested on January 11 of this year under administrative law, and a few hours later, on January 12, under criminal law.
On June 23, 2025, a court hearing was held at the Batumi City Court for Mzia Amaglobeili, founder of the online outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. In addition to the questioning of witnesses, the court also considered a motion to change the preventive measure of detention. However, the judge decided to keep Mzia Amaglobeili in custody.
During the hearing, Amaglobeili’s lawyer, Maia Mtsariashvili, spoke about her deteriorating health condition. According to the lawyer, based on test results from February 4, Mzia Amaglobeili had 30% vision in her right eye and only 0.04% in her left. By February 6, the vision in her right eye had dropped to 10%, and even with glasses, it can reach a maximum of 40%, whereas before her detention, it could reach up to 90%. In her left eye, vision is limited to distinguishing between light and darkness.
Despite the defense emphasizing the severe deterioration of her health, the court did not take this into account and upheld the detention. The court’s decision once again relies generically on the risk of committing a new offense, though the reasoning for this position remains unclear.
We continue to monitor Mzia Amaglobeili’s case, including evaluating how accessible appropriate medical care is for her under prison conditions.
On February 10, 2025, Tbilisi City Court found Mtavari Arkhi cameraman Sergi Baramidze guilty of an offense and issued him a verbal warning — despite the fact that he had been assaulted by law enforcement while performing his professional duties.
Baramidze was violently detained on November 19 of the previous year while on assignment. He was later released after signing a written statement.
Following the incident, the Ministry of Internal Affairs filed an administrative offense report against the cameraman. According to the report, on November 19, Baramidze allegedly disrupted public order, used profanity, shouted insults without clear direction, interfered with the lawful detention of another individual, and refused to stop his actions despite multiple warnings. He was charged under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Article 173, Part 1 (disobedience to a lawful police order) of the Administrative Offenses Code.
At the hearing on February 10, the judge dropped the case under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) but found Baramidze guilty under Article 173 (interference with police) and issued a verbal reprimand.
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.”
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.
