PACE monitors condemn sentencing of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli as “politically motivated”

Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) monitoring Georgia, Edite Estrela (Portugal, Socialist Party) and Sabina Ćudić (Bosnia and Herzegovina, ALDE), have issued a sharp condemnation of the two-year prison sentence handed down to Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, calling it “disproportionate, clearly politically motivated, and an abuse of the criminal justice system to suppress independent media and dissenting voices.”

In a joint statement, the PACE monitors urged Georgian authorities to immediately release Amaglobeli and called on the government to fully respect its obligations as a Council of Europe member, particularly regarding freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The co-rapporteurs also announced plans to visit Georgia later this year as part of their ongoing assessment of the country’s democratic commitments.

The PACE statement follows a controversial decision by Batumi City Court on Wednesday, where Judge Nino Sakhelashvili sentenced Amaglobeli to two years in prison. The verdict came after a sudden reclassification of charges during the final hearing.

Amaglobeli — founder and director of independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti — was initially charged under Article 353¹ of Georgia’s Criminal Code for allegedly assaulting a police officer during a protest in Batumi in January 2024. That charge carried a potential sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison.

However, in a surprise move, Judge Sakhelashvili downgraded the charge to Article 353, relating to resisting or threatening law enforcement — an offence that allows for a fine or up to five years in prison. Despite the lesser charge, the court issued a two-year custodial sentence, which observers and rights groups say is intended to intimidate critical media.