Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been held in illegal detention for over five months, is experiencing severe deterioration of her eyesight. Her lawyer, Maia Mtsariashvili, has released the results of a medical examination conducted at Vivamed Clinic, which indicate that Mzia Amaghlobeli is almost completely blind in her left eye. As for her right eye, vision can be improved to only about 40 percent with corrective glasses.
Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested on January 12, 2025, during a protest rally, accused of assaulting a police officer. The article under which she was charged carries a prison sentence of 4 to 7 years. Amaghlobeli is currently being held in pre-trial detention.
Following her arrest, Amaghlobeli declared a full hunger strike, refusing to eat for 38 days.
Local and international human rights organizations declare unanimously that the charges against Mzia Amaghlobeli and the criminal prosecution do not correspond to the circumstances of the case and point to political motives. Her pre-trial detention has been assessed as an attack on media freedom.
On June 19, the European Parliament adopted a resolution regarding media freedom in Georgia, specifically addressing the case of Mzia Amaghlobeli. The European Parliament condemns Mzia Amaghlobeli’s politically motivated arrest and prosecution, demands her immediate and unconditional release, and calls for all charges against her to be dropped.
PEN Georgia urges international partners, PEN International, and other PEN centers worldwide to react and raise their voices in solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli and for the protection of freedom of expression and human rights in Georgia.
