Batumelebi Founder Detained on Criminal Charges in Batumi
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, January 13, 2025
Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the Batumelebi newspaper and its online sister publication Netgazeti, was detained during the early hours of January 12. Police informed her family that she is being investigated for allegedly assaulting a police officer, a charge under Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which carries a penalty of 4 to 7 years in prison.
According to Amaglobeli's lawyer, Paata Diasamidze, formal charges have not yet been filed, and the defense team has not received an official notification. Authorities must either bring charges or release Amaglobeli within 48 hours.
Amaglobeli was detained twice within hours on the night of January 11-12. Initially, she was arrested for posting a sticker calling for a nationwide strike and released two hours later. She then remained outside the Batumi Police Directorate, where a spontaneous protest emerged demanding the release of other detainees. During this second detention, Amaglobeli reportedly made an instinctive gesture while squeezed by the crowd, accidentally hitting Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze, who then personally detained her.
Representatives of the Public Defender's Office, who visited Amaglobeli earlier, relayed her complaints of mistreatment during detention. Police allegedly delayed access for her defense lawyers until 3 a.m. on January 12.
The Public Defender's Office also reported multiple instances of mistreatment and procedural violations during the arrests of 10 citizens that night. Among the issues identified were lack of information about grounds for arrest, verbal abuse, and physical harm to detainees, with one individual suffering chest and head injuries. Several detainees have expressed their intention to seek an investigation.
Amaglobeli's detention has drawn attention due to her prominent role in Georgian media. Batumelebi, founded in Adjara during a politically tumultuous period, has a history of challenging powerful figures, including former Adjara leader Aslan Abashidze.
