IPI calls for ‘immediate release’ of detained Georgian media manager Mzia Amaglobeli

The International Press Institute (IPI) and a coalition of journalists, media organizations, and human rights defenders are demanding the immediate release of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who has been unjustly detained since early January.

An official statement released by the IPI on February 20 reads that Amaglobeli, a veteran journalist and director of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested on January 11 in Batumi amid a government crackdown on pro-democracy protests. Authorities charged her with assaulting a police officer—an offense that carries a prison sentence of up to seven years. Press freedom advocates argue that the charges are politically motivated and part of a broader effort to silence independent journalism in Georgia.

In protest against her detention and mistreatment, Amaglobeli launched a hunger strike that lasted five weeks. On February 18, she ended the strike after doctors warned that she was at risk of organ failure. She remains in critical condition and faces a long rehabilitation process. Her next court hearing is scheduled for March 4.

IPI stated that speaking from detention, Amaglobeli sent a message urging Georgians to resist authoritarianism: “Freedom is far more valuable than life, and it is at stake. Fight before it is too late. I will not bow to this regime. I will not play by its rules.”

IPI and other international organizations have condemned her arrest, calling on Georgian authorities to drop the charges and conduct an independent investigation into her treatment in custody.

Amaglobeli’s detention is part of an escalating crackdown on independent journalists in Georgia, raising concerns over press freedom and democratic backsliding in the country.