Media manager Amaglobeli fined for sticker protest

The Batumi City Court in western Georgia has fined Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of independent news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, 1,000 GEL for placing a protest sticker.

The court, presided over by Judge Marina Fomaeva, ruled on Wednesday that Amaglobeli had committed an administrative offence. The police officers who drafted the report were also questioned during the hearing.

Amaglobeli was initially arrested on administrative grounds during a protest in Batumi on the night of January 11-12 against halted EU integration. Though released shortly afterward, she was rearrested minutes later - this time on criminal charges.

She now faces prosecution under Article 353 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which pertains to assaulting a police officer. If convicted, she could face between four and seven years in prison.

The case has raised concerns among civil society groups and press freedom advocates, who view it as part of a broader crackdown on dissent.