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GYLA: Amaghlobeli’s Life in Danger, Urgent Action Needed

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association said that the life of the founder and director of the publication Batumelebi/Netgazeti was under threat and called on the authorities to take immediate action. The GYLA stresses that “the system is punishing Mzia Amaglobeli for her activities, for political reasons, and not because she has broken the law”.

In the statement released by the organization on January 27 statement the watchdog that defends Amaghlobeli rights called on the Ministry of Justice to make an immediate statement and to regularly inform the public about Amaglobeli’s state of health. GYLA stressed that the prison administration is obliged to ensure full and effective monitoring of his health in accordance with a special protocol.

The GYLA also calls on the prosecutor’s office “to immediately close the case of unlawful accusations against Mzia Amaglobeli and demand that the preventive measure be changed before the court, as Mzia Amaglobeli’s actions do not show signs of a criminal offense.”

GYLA said that the “Special Investigation Service (SIS) should inform the public about the status of the case of degrading treatment of Mzia Amaglobeli and why the authority of the Batumi police chief, Irakli Dgebuadze, has not been suspended.”

Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested on January 12. On January 14, Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili remanded Mzia Amaghlobeli in custody. Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Kutaisi Court of Appeal on January 16, arguing that her detention was “unjustified.”

However, on January 21, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals rejected Mzia Amaghlobeli‘s appeal and kept the journalist in pre-trial detention. Amaghlobeli’s lawyers had appealed an earlier decision by the Batumi City Court to remand her in custody.

On January 20, it became known that Amaghlobeli had begun a hunger strike, which she continues to this day. Protests demanding her release have intensified, with journalists and activists calling for justice. On January 22, Eter Turadze, editor of Batumelebi, said she had tried unsuccessfully to communicate with Georgian Dream Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili to address Amaghlobeli’s health conditions.

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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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