skip to content
News

GYLA Turns on Ombudsman Over Mzia Amaglobeli’s Health Amid International Outcry

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), a local watchdog, said the relevant authorities have not provided any information regarding the health condition of Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has been on hunger strike for 19 days. The GYLA says that the defense still does not have access to her medical records. It called on the Public Defender’s Office to monitor and assess Amaghlobeli’s health and to provide the organization with the “full medical documentation”. Meanwhile, the international outcry over the journalist’s arrest and health condition continues.

The GYLA notes that while “legislation establishes rules for caring for a defendant on hunger strike,” there is no clear information regarding the adequacy of the care provided to Mzia Amaghlobeli. The statement specifically highlights concerns about Amaghlobeli’s chronic health issues, including severe vision problems, and the risks of further complications. It also adds: “It is particularly concerning because, according to the lawyers, she already has difficulty passing the distance needed to meet with her lawyer.”

The GYLA thus puts forward several demands to the Public Defender:

  1. Within the scope of the Public Defender’s mandate, conduct continuous and daily monitoring of the health status of prisoner on hunger strike;
  2. Provide complete medical documentation related to Mzia Amaghlobeli, which is in the possession of the Public Defender, to the GYLA;
  3. Request all relevant documents pertaining to Mzia Amaghlobeli’s hunger strike and health condition from the Penitentiary Service and provide GYLA with copies of these documents;
  4. Assess the compliance of the management of Mzia Amaghlobeli’s health during her hunger strike with the requirements established by relevant normative acts. Determine whether she requires multidisciplinary care and whether the institution housing her is equipped to provide the necessary medical attention.
  5. Ensure that a representative or doctor visits Amaghlobeli daily to monitor her health.

Meanwhile Michael O’Flaherty, Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed concerns regarding the situation of Mzia Amaghlobeli, urging Georgian authorities to act immediately, as her case has become a “matter of life and death.” He emphasized, “This is not just a matter of freedom and imprisonment – this is a matter of life and death. And I very much hope that the authorities will act with the necessary speed in this extremely difficult situation.”

The joint statement issued by the embassies of 14 countries, namely Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Ukraine echoes these concerns over Amaghlobeli’s welfare on the day 19 day of her hunger strike. The January 30 statement cites the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, who deemed Amaghlobeli’s arrest as “unjustified.” The embassies further emphasize that this incident represents another troubling example of the intimidation of journalists in Georgia, restricting media freedom and freedom of expression. The statement calls for the immediate release of Amaghlobeli and expresses concern that no police officers have been suspended or charged following systematic violence against demonstrators. The statement calls on the Georgian authorities to protect the rights of journalists, particularly those who have been subjected to excessive force while covering protests.

As Amaghlobeli’s health reportedly continues to deteriorate with no clear updates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the protests demanding her release continue daily in both Tbilisi and Batumi. On January 22, Eter Turadze, the editor of Batumelebi, reported that she had unsuccessfully attempted to communicate with Shalva Papuashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Dream Parliament, to address Amaghlobeli’s health conditions.

Mzia Amaghlobeli, a prominent journalist and director of Batumelebi/Negtazeti, was arrested on the night of January 12 and charged with assaulting Irakli Dgebuadze, the head of Batumi City Division, under Article 353¹ of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for four to seven years. Amaghlobeli was remanded in custody on January 14, and began her hunger strike that same day. Her strike became publicly known following a statement by Nona Kurdovanidze, head of GYLA, on January 20, and has now reached its 19th day.

Also Read:

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

Back to top button