EU Parliament to debate media freedom in Georgia over media manager’s detention

The European Parliament will hold a debate on Wednesday addressing media freedom in Georgia, with a particular focus on the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, a Georgian media manager currently held in pre-trial detention.

Amaglobeli, a co-founder of the respected independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January following a protest in Batumi earlier this year. Prosecutors allege she slapped a senior police official during a demonstration. She was charged under Article 353-1 of Georgia’s criminal code for assaulting a law enforcer, an offence punishable by up to seven years in prison.

The case has triggered an outcry among press freedom advocates, opposition politicians, and international observers. On Thursday, MEPs are expected to vote on a resolution titled “Media freedom in Georgia, in particular the case of Mzia Amaglobeli,” signaling heightened EU concern over alleged political pressure on independent media in the country.

The journalist was initially detained on 11 January after placing a protest sticker on the wall of the Adjara Police headquarters. Although briefly released, she was re-arrested later that night over the alleged incident with the police chief. A Batumi court denied her bail and ordered pre-trial detention, a decision upheld twice by the Kutaisi Court of Appeals in February.

Amaglobeli launched a hunger strike on 20 January in protest of her detention, drawing attention from local civil society and international media watchdogs. She ended the strike on 18 February after nearly a month amid serious health concerns.

More than 40 Georgian media outlets joined a coordinated protest in solidarity, and several international organisations - including the International Press Institute and the European Union’s Media Freedom Coalition - have called for her immediate release. The EU Delegation to Georgia also urged the authorities to respect journalistic freedoms and ensure due process.

While Georgian authorities have defended the “legal process,” critics view the prosecution as part of a broader campaign to silence dissenting voices.