Media Strike in Solidarity with Jailed Journalist
On January 14, several dozen Georgian television and online media outlets went on strike from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., following a court decision to remand Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder and director of the Batumelebi newspaper, in custody.
“This is what Georgia will look like without critical media. Freedom to Mzia Amaghlobeli and all prisoners of the regime. We have gone on strike,” read the banner featuring Mzia Amaghlobeli in a courtroom, which remained on TV screens and media websites for three hours. In the photo, Amaghlobeli, defiant, holds a Georgian copy of Maria Ressa’s book How to Stand Up to a Dictator.
A total of 43 media outlets participated in the strike, including Civil.ge. Among them were the three largest opposition-leaning channels – Formula, TV Pirveli, and Mtavari – along with some popular online outlets such as Publika and Tabula, multilingual platforms like OC Media and Jamnews, and numerous regional media outlets. As expected, Georgian Dream-controlled media did not stop broadcasting.
The Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB), which is facing public backlash for what the critics say is its authorities-leaning editorial policy, continued its regular operations, too. However, one of its news anchors, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, used the evening newscast to show solidarity with his imprisoned colleague. He began each news segment with the phrase “Solidarity and freedom to Mzia Amaghlobeli,” repeating it a total of eleven times during the newscast. Ivanov-Chikovani also took the opportunity to remind viewers that no police officer has yet been held accountable for the excessive use of force against journalists.
Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested in Batumi on the night of January 12. She is charged with assaulting a police officer and faces a prison sentence. Video footage shows Amaghlobeli slapping a police officer in the face, which the authorities have classified as an assault. She was remanded in custody hours before the media strike.
Another major nationwide strike is planned for 15 January at 15:00, involving various businesses and enterprises across Georgia.
Also Read:
- 13/01/2025 – Batumelebi Says Police Deliberately Targeted its Cameraman
- 12/01/2025 – Batumelebi/Netgazeti Director Investigated on Criminal Charges
- 01/12/2024 – Protesters Demand Access, Leadership Reshuffle at Public Broadcaster
- 08/03/2024 – Georgia in Safety of Journalists Platform Report 2024
- 12/12/2023 – GD Faction Leader Says Consensus Reached on Public Broadcaster Funding
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)