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Civil.ge
6 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…
The Hindu
26-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Reports on officials, religion, protests land journalists in trouble; those in towns most impacted, finds study
Reporting on public officials, religious matters, and protests were the three most common reasons for which a journalist in India faced criminal charges, a study, co-authored by the National Law University (NLU), Delhi, has found. The study said that journalists from small cities and towns, or those who reported for local publications, in Hindi or other regional languages, were most impacted, and their cases often did not receive national or international media attention. The other two authors of the report are TrialWatch, an initiative of the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School. The report, 'Pressing Charges: A Study of Criminal Cases Against Journalists Across States in India', was based on an analysis of 423 criminal cases registered against 427 journalists covering a total of 624 incidents of 'criminalisation of journalists' in relation to their work from 2012-2022. At least 40% of the journalists covered in the dataset were arrested, the study found. 'Our dataset revealed that reporting on public officials was the most common reason journalists faced charges, the basis for charges in 147 incidents. The second most common reason was for reporting on religious matters – 99 times, while the third most common was reporting on protests – 79 times. Significantly, in over 100 incidents, the charges related to the reporters' alleged conduct while reporting, instead of what they were reporting on,' the report said. The criminal charges most frequently invoked against journalists were offences related to public tranquility, criminal intimidation and insult, promoting enmity, defamation, offences against public servants, and offences relating to religion. G.S. Bajpai, vice-chancellor, NLU, told The Hindu that the growing trend of invoking criminal laws against journalists raises serious constitutional concerns. 'This report reveals that journalists, particularly from smaller towns, are increasingly being targeted through penal provisions. While it is true that journalists must uphold professional standards and exercise due responsibility in their reporting, the data emerging from this study points to a troubling pattern of criminalisation. Such developments do not bode well for the health of a constitutional democracy, where freedom of the press is a foundational pillar,' he said. The report said that a journalist's experience of the justice system differed based on location and status. 'While journalists in major metropolises were arrested in 24% of the total incidents recorded in such cities, this figure increased to 58% for journalists in small cities/towns. This, in turn, was linked to journalists' access to justice. In 65% of the incidents involving journalists from major metropolises, they secured interim protection from arrest, while the corresponding figure for small-town journalists was a mere 3%. This can potentially be explained by the fact that this relief was most often granted by the Supreme Court, which has a single seat in Delhi,' the report added. It was highlighted in the study that out of 244 cases for which data were available, more than 65% cases had not reached any conclusion as of October 30, 2023. 'In fact, the police had not even completed their investigation in 40% of the cases for which we had relevant data. And only 16 cases (6%) saw a concluded trial — ending in conviction or acquittal,' the report said. The registration of the case had harsh impacts on journalists and their loved ones which included the possibility of arrest, intimidation by the police or politicians, as well as social stigma. The report highlighted that cases against journalists in India do not, however, always take the same course. 'For instance, while defamation charges, which are prosecuted privately rather than by government authorities, were more common against journalists in larger cities and against investigative journalism, offences against public servants were more common in smaller towns and were invoked in relation to journalists' on-ground news-gathering activities,' it said. Journalists working in Hindi and other regional languages suffered from a similarly adverse ratio in relation to counterparts working in English, the study said. 'Our data suggests that while the process is the punishment, the pain it inflicts may be proportional to the accused's distance from the national capital,' it further said.
Indian Express
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Small-town journalists at higher risk of arrest than those from cities: Report
Journalists from small cities and towns faced more criminal cases than those in big cities. And their vulnerability to arrest and detention is largely propelled by their lack of proximity to high courts or the Supreme Court. These findings were part of a report studying criminal cases against journalists in India. It also found that reporting on public officials is the most common reason for charges being slapped. The report, 'Pressing Charges', A Study of Criminal Cases against Journalists across States in India, was authored by the National Law University in Delhi; TrialWatch, an initiative of Clooney Foundation for Justice; and the Human Rights Institute. It was released on Tuesday. The report primarily analysed criminal action against journalists in relation to their work between 2012-2022. It found that criminal cases were registered against 427 journalists in 28 states and union territories. These journalists faced criminal charges 624 times, with 60 of the 427 journalists implicated in multiple cases — each being recorded as a separate incident. Further, 232 of these 624 incidents were in metropolises while 243 were in smaller cities and towns. The defamation charge was used more against big city journalists and those reporting in English. A potential explanation, the report stated, could be that offences such as disobeying or obstructing public servants were slapped against journalists covering local events on the ground, while defamation — which is prosecuted privately — was pursued by complainants with greater resources. '… These cases protect individuals and institutions in power — the reputation of public officials is protected to avoid a challenge to existing power structures. While reporting on religion or protests is discouraged because of the supposed risks of creating inter-communal or citizen-government conflict,' the report stated. While a vast majority of the charges involved alleged violations of the Indian Penal Code (a total of 579 out of 624 incidents or 93%), 107 incidents involved offences under the IPC as well as the Information Technology Act. There were also 21 incidents of UAPA charges. The report found that not only did journalists from smaller towns face more criminal cases compared to those from metropolises, but they were also more vulnerable to arrest. They were also granted protection from arrest — either as anticipatory bail or as interim protection from arrest — fewer times. This, the report surmised, can be explained by better access to justice in metropolises. 'While in 65% of incidents involving journalists from major metropolises, journalists managed to secure interim protection from arrest, the percentages dropped significantly to only 3% for small cities/towns… For journalists outside of major metropolises, regular bail was the most frequent form of relief — meaning they were only able to secure their liberty after arrest…,' the report records. Of the information on arrest and pre-trial detention available for 515 of the 624 incidents, the analysis in the report shows that while overall arrests were effected in 40% of the incidents, journalists were arrested 24% of the time in metropolises, compared to 58% in small cities and towns. The difference in access to justice also plays out during trials. In as many as 89% of the incidents where a stay on trial was granted by constitutional courts (HCs or SC), it was to journalists from metropolises. No journalist from the smaller towns and cities could obtain a stay, the report states.
