Latest news with #MziaAmaghlobeli
OC Media
3 days ago
- Politics
- OC Media
In Georgia, a police officer's cheek ranks above all
The Caucasus is changing — and not for the better. With authoritarianism on the rise across the region, the threat to independent journalism is higher than ever. Join our community and help push back against the hardliners. Become a member It was hard to find anyone around me who had positive expectations about journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli's trial. Her colleagues and friends, whom I had spoken to since her detention, especially in the final week leading up to the verdict, were emotionally preparing themselves for the worst-case scenario: The court would agree with the prosecution's claim that the slap Amaghlobeli gave to Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze after a heated exchange should be considered an 'assault on a police officer' — a charge punishable by up to seven years in prison. Such expectations were quite logical: even before the verdict, the Georgian state had gone to great lengths to portray Amaghlobeli as a criminal unworthy of spending even a single day of almost a seven months-long pre-trial period outside prison walls. Even Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze joined the campaign, pushing a theory that Amaghlobeli slapped Dgebuadze on prior instructions as part of a greater plan to discredit Georgian law enforcement agencies. Would the Georgian courts, widely regarded by critics as being directly subordinate to the political authorities, take a different stance? Past experiences hardly gave Amaghlobeli's supporters any reason for such optimism. They believed the state wanted to make an example out of a media founder, and that it would definitely do so. I've known Amaghlobeli since 2017, when I joined Netgazeti — the sister outlet of the Batumelebi newspaper which she and her friend Eter Turadze founded in the coastal city of Batumi back in 2001. Over the years, both outlets have earned a reputation as trusted sources, thanks to their uncompromising coverage of state corruption, human rights violations, and the government's intolerance of dissent. Critics inside and outside Georgia believe that Amaghlobeli ended up behind bars as a victim of one of the very problems — a corrupt judiciary and police — that Batumelebi consistently exposed under all three governments it has witnessed throughout its history. Amaghlobeli's case hasn't been important to me just because I know her personally, nor because it's the first time state repression has directly touched someone close to me. What troubles me just as much is the disproportionate, almost dystopian nature of the case itself: Up to seven years in prison for a slap; months of legal debate over whether the Batumi police chief's cheek was actually injured; and repeated court approvals of the prosecution's claim that a 50-year-old woman with no criminal record — who went on hunger strike for the first 38 days of her detention and nearly lost her vision during her time in prison — posed a risk of reoffending and should remain in pre-trial detention. I'm not even mentioning the inconsistencies the defence claimed in both the administrative and criminal cases against Amaghlobeli, nor the police testimonies that were, in several instances, nearly identical. Nor am I talking about the fact that in the past, Georgia's courts have applied far lighter charges in cases involving serious violence against police officers. All this, while Dgebuadze — who, according to Amaghlobeli, swore at her, spat on her, and even denied her access to a toilet during detention — continues his job without consequences. The same goes for the police officers who beat, humiliated, and robbed protesters and journalists during the November–December rallies with shocking brutality, yet were never held accountable. During the final hearings, it wasn't just Amaghlobeli's friends and colleagues who gathered outside the Batumi courthouse — who I saw there also included activists, people from across generations and professional fields both from Batumi and other parts across Georgia. Most moving of all were those who had been previously helped by Batumelebi in their own fights against injustice. 'If someone shoots at you [journalists], I'll throw myself in front so you don't get hit', a middle-aged woman told me while I was interviewing people at Amaghlobeli's rally. As it turned out later, she was a homeless citizen, whose plea to the local government for housing had been covered by Batumelebi. Another woman stood at the protest holding a 14-year-old issue of Batumelebi, which featured an article on the main page about the woman's efforts to find her niece, who had been placed in a psychiatric institution involuntarily, with her family unaware for months of her exact whereabouts. 'If journalists like this were sitting in parliament [as MPs], we'd be thriving today!' she shouted outside the courthouse. On the day the verdict was finally announced — after two previous hearings had ended without one, despite expectations — the courtroom was packed with Amaghlobeli's friends and supporters. Unlike the last time, I managed to get inside as well. As always, the entire room welcomed Amaghlobeli with chants of support the moment she entered. I'll never forget that one second when the courtroom erupted in joy — right after Judge Nino Sakhelashvili said, 'The charge against Mzia Amaghlobeli shall be reclassified…' It was a fleeting moment of hope, when people believed the state had finally backed down in her favour. But the joy was short-lived: although the charge was indeed reclassified under a lighter article, Amaghlobeli was still sentenced to two years in prison. As we left the courtroom, the atmosphere was filled with mixed emotions. Two years certainly sounded lighter than four, six, or seven — but was justice really served? 'In terms of justice, nothing has changed — this is still an unfair decision, just repackaged as a two-year sentence', Eter Turadze, Batumelebi's editor-in-chief, told me after the hearing. We had a short conversation outside the publication's office, where Amaghlobeli's supporters had gathered after leaving the courthouse. 'This isn't just about Mzia: it concerns every citizen of this country. They created a precedent where a 50 year-old woman with a serious health condition […] can be imprisoned for two years over Dgebuadze's cheek. It's a dehumanising environment', she added. Even some Georgian Dream supporters can't fully justify what Turadze is talking about: according to a June survey by the Georgian research organisation ISSA, the majority of Georgians (59%) found the charges against Amaghlobeli unfair — including 70% in Tbilisi, 54% in the regions, and 22% of Georgian Dream supporters. Among the ruling party's voters, 23% also either had no answer or refused to respond. While in Batumi, I kept thinking about how Amaghlobeli used to shy away from fame — she was barely active even on social media. And yet now, thanks to the Georgian state, she has become a symbol of resistance for many — one encouraging others with smiles, gestures of defiance, and a phrase from one of her letters that became a motto of the campaign in her support: 'Fight, before it's too late'.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Journalist sentenced to two years in prison for slapping police officer
A prominent Georgian journalist has been sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a senior police officer during an anti-government protest. The case has been condemned by rights groups in Georgia as a curb on press freedom. Mzia Amaghlobeli, who founded two of the country's independent media outlets, was convicted in the coastal city of Batumi. She was initially charged with assault, which carried a maximum prison sentence of seven years. However, the judge found her guilty on a lesser charge of resistance, threats or violence against a defender of the public order or other government official. Sporadic chants of 'Free Mzia!' broke out both outside the courthouse and in the courtroom as the 50-year-old was sentenced. She was arrested on 12 January, one of over 50 people taken into custody on criminal charges after a series of protests. Video shared by Georgian media outlets showed her striking Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaghlobeli said that Mr Dgebuadze spat at her and tried to attack her after she was detained. Her lawyer told the court she reacted emotionally after getting caught in a stampede, falling, and witnessing the arrest of those close to her. She also said a police investigation was not impartial and Amaghlobeli did not receive a fair trial. In a closing statement on Monday, Amaghlobeli described chaotic scenes at the protest. 'In a completely peaceful setting, the police suddenly appear, create chaos, and surround me with masked officers," she said. "As a result of strong pushes and blows from behind, I fall to the asphalt. Then they trample over me with their feet.' She also thanked her colleagues and the activists for their continued resistance, and urged them to fight on. 'You must never lose faith in your own capabilities. There is still time. The fight continues — until victory!' she said. Western countries cite intimidation of journalists In a joint statement in January, 14 embassies, including those of France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, said Amaghlobeli's case represented 'another worrying example of the intimidation of journalists in Georgia, restricting media freedom and freedom of expression'. Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, the advocacy and communications director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that Amaghlobeli's case was 'a sign of the declining environment for press freedom in Georgia and a symbol for the fight between truth and control'. 'You have to decide whether you're going to vilify journalists, criminalize them, and present them as nefarious characters with malicious intent in order to control information, or whether you're going to have a public that is truly free, freely informed and empowered,' Ms Guillén Kaiser said. 'And that is a fundamental question for every country and for Georgia specifically right now.' Leading Georgian officials defended her arrest. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused her of seeking to fulfill a 'directive' to discredit police, but did not provide proof or say who was behind it. 'She attempted to discredit the law enforcement structures, to discredit the police, but she received exactly the kind of response such actions deserve,' he said. 'Those who are trying to undermine statehood in Georgia are the ones who are upset by this. But this will not succeed — we will defend the interests of our state to the end.' Political unrest since a disputed election Georgia has seen widespread political unrest and protests since its parliamentary election on 26 October 2024, which was won by Georgian Dream. Protesters and the country's opposition declared the result illegitimate amid allegations of vote-rigging aided by Russia. At the time, opposition leaders vowed to boycott sessions of parliament until a new election could be held under international supervision and alleged ballot irregularities were investigated. Nearly all the leaders of Georgia's pro-Western opposition parties have been jailed for refusing to testify at a parliamentary inquiry into alleged wrongdoing by the government of former President Mikhail Saakashvili, a probe that critics of Georgian Dream say is an act of political revenge. The critics accuse Georgian Dream – established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia – of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the party has denied. It recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Among controversial legislation passed by Georgian Dream is the so-called ' foreign influence law," which requires organizations that receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as 'pursuing the interest of a foreign power'. That law later was replaced with one called the Foreign Agent's Registration Ac t, under which individuals or organizations considered as 'agents of a foreign principal' must register with the government or face penalties, including criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Members of civil society fear that the law's broad definition of 'foreign agent' could be used to label any critical media outlet or nongovernmental organisation as acting on behalf of a foreign entity. Many independent news outlets receive grants from abroad to fund their work. 'I think that the main goal of the government was to scare us, for us to leave the country or shut down or change profession,' says Mariam Nikuradze, founder of the OC Media outlet. Most journalists still want to stay in the country, she said, and cover what she described as growing authoritarian rule. 'Everybody's being very brave and everybody's very motivated,' she said.
Civil.ge
5 days ago
- Politics
- Civil.ge
International and Domestic Reactions to Mzia Amaghlobeli's Verdict
Batumi City Court sentenced veteran journalist and Batumelebi/Netgazeti founder Mzia Amaghlobeli to two years in prison on charges of 'resistance, threat, or violence against a public official' over slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a tense night of protests and arrests in January. While Judge Nino Sakhelashvili's last-minute decision to reclassify the initial charge of 'assaulting a police officer' was seen by some as a retreat from the judiciary's earlier hardline stance on protest-related cases, opposition figures, rights groups, and foreign diplomats have condemned the verdict as a troubling escalation in Georgia's crackdown on dissent. has compiled a selection of domestic and international reactions to Amaghlobeli's sentencing. This article will be updated as new comments come in. Joint Statement of 24 diplomatic missions in Georgia : 'We the diplomatic missions of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, representing member countries of the Media Freedom Coalition and aligned embassies to Georgia, condemn the disproportionate and politicized sentencing of Mzia Amaglobeli to 2 years in prison. Mzia Amaglobeli's case is further aggravated by her prolonged pretrial detention, during which her health condition and especially eyesight has deteriorated significantly. The case of Mzia Amaglobeli and the pressure on Batumelebi and Netgazeti exemplify the escalating intimidation of journalists in Georgia, including unpunished violence and legal persecution, in clear violation of the country's international obligations to protect media freedom and freedom of expression. We repeat the message of the Media Freedom Coalition statement of 20 December 2024, condemning all intimidation and violence against journalists and media workers. We express our solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli and call for her immediate release.' Cloonie Foundation for Justice / TrialWatch: 'Mzia Amaglobeli's conviction places Georgia among a growing number of countries using criminal law to silence journalists and curtail free speech – especially at times of political instability, when people need access to independent journalism most,' said Kate Levine, Senior Legal Program Manager at TrialWatch. TrialWatch monitored Amaglobeli's trial and will share its in-depth evaluation of it, grading it against international fair trial standards, in a forthcoming Fairness Report.' Denis Krivosheev , Amnesty International's Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia : 'Mzia Amaghlobeli was subjected to a litany of abuses at the hands of the police: verbally assaulted, spat on, injured and then refused medical help. This was admitted by police officers during her trial, yet impunity has prevailed. The proceedings were riddled with procedural violations and bias, and the court refused to admit much of the defence's submissions and investigate credible allegations of ill-treatment by police officials. Mzia Amaghlobeli must receive a fair trial, and the abuses she has suffered must also be independently investigated and addressed to ensure justice.' Reporters Without Borders , a Paris-based press freedom watchdog : 'On Wednesday, August 6, the court in Batumi, Georgia, handed down its verdict: journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, co-founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was sentenced to two years in prison for the criminal offense of 'assaulting a police officer' following a symbolic slap. We call on the authorities to put an end to this travesty of justice and to release the journalist immediately.' Rasa Juknevičienė , Lithuanian MEP, Standing Rapporteur for Georgia : 'Mzia Amaghlobeli just sentenced to 2 years in prison. This is not just political persecution of a brilliant journalist. Mzia has become a symbol of Georgian's fight for a European future. Ivanishvili's regime is killing freedom and democracy faster than the Kremlin did in Russia.' Sergey Lagodinsky , German MEP and Co-President of Euronest Parliamentary Assembly : 'Mzia has just been sentenced to 2 years of prison. As an MEP and Co-President of Euronest, I reiterate our call from January: Immediate release of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a brave journalist who has spent over 200 days in custody for a single slap. While she has been on trial Georgian authorities are doubling down: seizing the assets of Batumelebi/Netgazeti under tax claims as pressure increases. Protest is not a crime! Journalism is not a threat! Georgian ruling party must abandon the path of prosecutions and respect press freedom.' Krzysztof Brejza , Polish MEP : 'Journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli sentenced to 2 years – the first journalist jailed in Georgia. Instead of meeting the EU's clear demands to protect human rights, democracy and return country to the European development path, the regime is jailing journalists! This is not European – this is authoritarian. Georgia deserves better!' Robin Wagener , member of the German Bundestag : 'I strongly condemn the 2-year prison sentence for Mzia Amaghlobeli. Independent journalism is not a crime. Georgian Dream's attempt to silence pro-European voices by targeting outspoken individuals like Mzia with politically motivated charges is unacceptable. She must be released immediately and granted urgent access to medical care. This sentence is part of a broader crackdown on civil society and human rights in Georgia, where dissent to the ruling Georgian Dream and its anti-EU-policy is increasingly being met with severe repression. We need targeted sanctions against those responsible for the repression like GD politicians or high-ranking officials within the law enforcement and security systems. The international community must stand in solidarity with the pro-European civil society in Georgia, fighting for freedom and democracy.' Salome Zurabishvili , Georgia's Fifth President : 'The regime is paralyzed-too cowardly to free Mzia Amaghlobeli, too weak to convict her. It hides behind delays, hoping to survive. But her strength exposed their fear. This isn't justice. It's a dying authoritarian system. And we won't stop!' Giorgi Gakharia , leader of the opposition party For Georgia : 'Georgian Dream crossed every political and legal red line long ago. Today, it stepped beyond any human or moral boundary. In doing so, it passed the harshest verdict on itself. Mzia Amaghlobeli now stands as a symbol of unbreakable dignity. We all stand with her in this fight.' Tina Bokuchava , Chair of the Unity-UNM: 'Today, in that courtroom, we witnessed one woman's revolution against the regime. Today, through her silence, Mzia Amaghlobeli has already overthrown Bidzina Ivanishvili […]. With her strength, resilience, determination, and struggle, this one woman, before our eyes, exposed and toppled the regime. We must consolidate this energy and bring down this regime that commits such injustice against a woman […] Mzia Amaghlobeli is a proud, strong, patriotic Georgian woman. But [Irakli] Dgebuadze is not a man; this was seen by the entire country.' Lelo/Strong Georgia : 'The regime will be defeated! Mzia Amaghlobeli will be free!' More to follow…
Civil.ge
5 days ago
- Politics
- Civil.ge
Journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli Sentenced to Two Years in Jail as Court Reclassifies Charges
Batumelebi and Netgazeti founder Mzia Amaghlobeli has been sentenced to two years in jail after the court's last-minute decision to reclassify criminal charges from attack on a police officer to 'resistance, threat or violence' against an official. While still deemed unfair by Amaghlobeli's supporters, the verdict is seen as a slight retreat from the Georgian judiciary's previously uncompromising stance on protest-related cases. The ruling comes after Amaghlobeli spent seven months in pre-trial detention, where she ended up for slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a tense night of protests and arrests. The case had attracted widespread scrutiny, with observers describing both the criminal charges and the lengthy pre-trial custody as punitive measures aimed at silencing the journalist. Amaghlobeli was initially charged with assaulting a police officer under Article 353 prima of the Criminal Code, carrying a penalty of four to seven years in prison, which was reclassified on August 6 to a charge under part 1 of Article 353 Criminal Code involving 'resistance, threat or violence against a protector of public order or other representative of the authorities', punishable by a fine or house arrest for a term up to two years, or by imprisonment for a term of two to six years. Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili delivered the ruling on August 6, as supporters gathered in and outside the courtroom in the coastal city to stand with Amaghlobeli. 'Whatever decision you make today, I want you to know that I consider myself a winner,' Amaghlobeli told the court in her closing remarks on August 4. Many had traveled long distances to attend the trials, including Amaghlobeli herself, who is held at Rustavi's fifth penitentiary facility, a six-hour drive from Batumi, where she was arrested and tried and where she has worked for many years. Among the crowds who attended three final hearings from August 1 to August 6 were family members, colleagues, activists, politicians, diplomats, and Georgia's fifth President, Salome Zurabishvili. 'The regime is paralyzed – too cowardly to free Mzia Amaghlobeli, too weak to convict her,' Zurabishvili wrote on X after the verdict. 'It hides behind delays, hoping to survive. But her strength exposed their fear. This isn't justice. It's a dying authoritarian system.' The journalist had firmly rejected the plea deal floated by prosecutors during previous hearings, arguing that accepting it would mean admitting that a slap constituted an attack. 'I won't and can't sign this plea bargain, because what happened was not an attack, and portraying and painting a slap as an attack is evil,' the journalist said, calling the offer 'deeply offensive' and likening it to 'being buried alive.' Originally from Chvana village in Shuakhevi, Adjara, Amaghlobeli co-founded the local media outlet Batumelebi in Batumi with Eter Turadze in 2001. In 2010, Batumelebi established another outlet, Netgazeti , with a focus on nationwide reporting. Since then, the two outlets have become key media sources on developments in Georgia and Adjara, with a broad focus on critical coverage of politics, social issues, and corruption, among others. 'Mzia Amaghlobeli's case is a mirror of how the government abuses power, how the charge fails to serve its purpose, and how it tries to present the victim as the abuser and the abuse as the victim,' Maia Mtsariashvili, Amaghlobeli's lawyer, told the court at the end of nearly eight hours of concluding remarks on August 1, describing the case as the one 'to be talked about by generations.' The journalist was placed in pre-trial detention following the tense night of arrests on January 11–12 in Batumi. She was detained twice that night — first after placing a protest sticker on an outbuilding of the Batumi Police Department, and again shortly after her release, after slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a tense standoff. She was charged with assaulting a police officer over the latter incident, a charge under Article 353 prima of the Criminal Code carrying a penalty of four to seven years in prison. The journalist's defense has argued that the charges of assaulting a police officer were disproportionate to the act committed, citing, among others, Georgian judicial practice not classifying a slap as such an attack. Amaghlobeli went on a hunger strike following her arrest, which she ended on February 18, after 38 days. In June, the journalist's lawyers raised concerns that the defendant was on the verge of losing her eyesight, with her already poor eye health further deteriorating since her detention amid a lack of medical examination and care. Amaghlobeli also recounted inhuman treatment on the part of Dgebuadze while in custody, including verbal insults, menacing the journalist with what she said were attempts at physical attacks, spitting in the face, as well as being restricted from using the bathroom or being provided with drinking water. Several experts testified to the court, effectively dismissing the versions of serious pain or injury inflicted on Dgebuadze's cheek as a result of a slap. That included prosecution expert Givi Chkhartishvili, who denied identifying any 'objective sign' of damage on Dgebuadze's face following a slap in his testimony. The defense also argued that police witnesses had given false testimony and criticized prosecutors and investigators for their unwillingness to question Amaghlobeli. Meanwhile, the court refused to admit testimony from multiple defense witnesses, the lawyers said. Throughout her detention, Amaghlobeli has been fined twice on administrative charges, in what her lawyers argued were two fines on the same act of putting a sticker, and a result of a separate fabricated administrative case to justify her initial illegal detention on the sticker incident. Amaghlobeli's defence has repeatedly raised concerns about Georgian Dream officials, including GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, claiming Amaghlobeli was carrying out a 'specific instruction' to diminish police. The journalist's lawyers motioned to question Kobakhidze as part of the trial, but the request was denied. The journalist's case has drawn widespread domestic and international attention. Support for her release has come from a broad spectrum of individuals and groups, including academics, politicians, and even conservative figures such as Irma Inashvili, leader of the nativist Alliance of Patriots party, whose views typically differ sharply from those of the journalist. The European Parliament has repeatedly called for Amaghlobeli's release in its resolutions, and European diplomats routinely attended the court hearings. The TrialWatch initiative of the Clooney Foundation for Justice (CFJ) has been monitoring the trial, describing it as a case that 'has come to symbolize the growing concern over the shrinking space for free expression in Georgia.' The initiative identified several key issues in the proceedings, including the prosecution's failure to present evidence that a slap constituted a violent act; the authorities' failure to investigate the journalist's complaints of ill-treatment; and pressure tactics and reputational attacks by the prosecution, including urging Amaghlobeli to plead guilty and referencing unrelated past incidents to build their case. On June 26, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA), a local human rights group, announced that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) had begun reviewing the appeal in Amaghlobeli's case, roughly two months after GYLA submitted the application. The organization said the Court indicated the case may be classified as an 'impact case,' one that could significantly influence or change human rights law. The application covers the period from the opening of the investigation through to Amaghlobeli's pre-trial hearing, and lawyers have challenged the legality of both Amaghlobeli's detention and the custody as a pre-trial measure, and alleged political motivation, among others. The verdict comes as no police officer has been held accountable for documented abuses during violent dispersals. Critics also note that pro-government thugs and affiliated figures often escape punishment or get away with lenient penalties , while Amaghlobeli and others arrested over protests face harsh sentences. This post is also available in: ქართული
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Georgian journalist is convicted of slapping a police chief at a protest and gets 2 years in prison
A prominent Georgian journalist was convicted Wednesday of slapping a police chief during an anti-government protest and sentenced to two years in prison in a case that was condemned by rights groups as curbing press freedom. Mzia Amaghlobeli, who founded two of Georgia's independent media outlets, was convicted in the coastal city of Batumi. She was initially charged with assault, an offense that carried a maximum prison sentence of up to seven years, but the judge in the end found her guilty on the lighter charge of resistance, threats or violence against a defender of the public order or other government official. The case is just one of many to draw protests and international criticism in recent months as the ruling Georgian Dream party has been accused of eroding civil society and democratic rights in the South Caucasus nation. Chants of support as verdict was read A visibly gaunt Amaghlobeli, 50, heard the verdict in the Batumi City Court packed with journalists and supporters, while a protest was held outside the courthouse. Sporadic chants of 'Free Mzia!' broke out both outside the courthouse and in the courtroom. She was arrested Jan. 12, one of over 50 people taken into custody on criminal charges from a series of demonstrations in the country of 3.7 million. Video shared by Georgian media outlets showed Amaghlobeli striking Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Amaghlobeli said that after she was detained, Dgebuadze spat at her and tried to attack her. Her lawyer told the court she reacted emotionally after getting caught in a stampede, falling, and witnessing the arrest of those close to her. She also said a police investigation was not impartial and she did not receive a fair trial. In a closing statement Monday, Amaghlobeli described chaotic scenes at the protest. 'In a completely peaceful setting, the police suddenly appear, create chaos, and surround me with masked officers,' she said. 'As a result of strong pushes and blows from behind, I fall to the asphalt. Then they trample over me with their feet.' She added that she was abused at the police station after her arrest. She also thanked her colleagues and the activists for their continued resistance, and urged them to fight on. 'You must never lose faith in your own capabilities. There is still time. The fight continues— until victory!' she said. Western countries cite intimidation of journalists Amaghlobeli is the founder and manager of investigative news outlet Batumelebi, which covers politics, corruption and human rights in Georgia. She also founded its sister publication, Netgazeti. In a joint statement in January, 14 embassies, including those of France, Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K., said Amaghlobeli's case represented 'another worrying example of the intimidation of journalists in Georgia, restricting media freedom and freedom of expression.' Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, advocacy and communications director for the Committee to Protect Journalists, warned that Amaghlobeli's case was 'a sign of the declining environment for press freedom in Georgia and a symbol for the fight between truth and control.' 'You have to decide whether you're going to vilify journalists, criminalize them, and present them as nefarious characters with malicious intent in order to control information, or whether you're going to have a public that is truly free, freely informed and empowered,' Guillén Kaiser said. 'And that is a fundamental question for every country and for Georgia specifically right now.' Leading Georgian officials defended her arrest. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused her of seeking to fulfill a 'directive' to discredit police but did not provide proof or say who was behind it. 'She attempted to discredit the law enforcement structures, to discredit the police, but she received exactly the kind of response such actions deserve,' he said. 'Those who are trying to undermine statehood in Georgia are the ones who are upset by this. But this will not succeed — we will defend the interests of our state to the end.' Political unrest since a disputed election Georgia has seen widespread political unrest and protests since its parliamentary election on Oct. 26, which was won by Georgian Dream. Protesters and the country's opposition declared the result illegitimate amid allegations of vote-rigging aided by Russia. At the time, opposition leaders vowed to boycott sessions of parliament until a new election could be held under international supervision and alleged ballot irregularities were investigated. Nearly all the leaders of Georgia's pro-Western opposition parties have been jailed for refusing to testify at a parliamentary inquiry into alleged wrongdoing by the government of former President Mikhail Saakashvili, a probe that critics of Georgian Dream say is an act of political revenge. The critics accuse Georgian Dream — established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the party has denied. It recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights. Among controversial legislation passed by Georgian Dream is the so-called ' foreign influence law,' which requires organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as 'pursuing the interest of a foreign power.' That law later was replaced with one called the Foreign Agent's Registration Act, under which individuals or organizations considered as 'agents of a foreign principal' must register with the government or face penalties, including criminal prosecution and imprisonment. Members of civil society fear that the law's broad definition of 'foreign agent' could be used to label any critical media outlet or nongovernmental organization as acting on behalf of a foreign entity. Many independent news outlets receive grants from abroad to fund their work. 'I think that the main goal of the government was to scare us, for us to leave the country or shut down or change profession,' says Mariam Nikuradze, founder of the OC Media outlet. Most journalists still want to stay in the country, she said, and cover what she described as growing authoritarian rule. 'Everybody's being very brave and everybody's very motivated,' she said.
