Prepared by Messenger Staff
Kutaisi Court Rejects Appeal, Keeps Amaghlobeli in Custody
On January 21, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals rejected Mzia Amaghlobeli's appeal and upheld her pre-trial detention. Her lawyers had challenged a prior decision by the Batumi City Court to remand her in custody.
Amaghlobeli, founder and director of Batumelebi and its nationwide sister publication Netgazeti, faces potential imprisonment for allegedly assaulting a police officer. She was arrested on January 12 after slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze, reportedly in response to his abusive and insulting behavior. Watchdog groups argue her case reflects state repression of independent journalists.
Her lawyers have yet to receive the court's reasoning for the decision. "We will consider how to continue the legal fight," said Paata Diasamidze, one of her lawyers.
On January 14, Batumi City Court Judge Nino Sakhelashvili ordered her remand, a decision criticized as "unjustified" in a January 16 brief submitted by Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani. Meanwhile, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association reported that Amaghlobeli has been on a hunger strike since her arrest.
For Georgia Alleges Evidence Tampering in Sheraton Batumi Attack Case
The political party For Georgia, led by Giorgi Gakharia, has accused Sheraton Batumi Hotel and law enforcement agencies of tampering with evidence related to the January 15 attack on Gakharia and journalist Zviad Koridze. In a statement the party claimed that Sheraton Batumi has refused to provide access to video footage of the incident.
According to the statement, Sheraton's management initially assured the party that the video records existed and would be preserved, even after being handed over to investigators. However, the hotel has since declined to issue an official response, referring the party's representatives to their legal team for further clarification.
The party also criticized the investigation process, claiming delays and a lack of transparency. "Yesterday, we proposed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to interview Giorgi Gakharia. Three hours later, we were informed that the case had been transferred to the prosecutor's office. After initial communication, the prosecutor's office has since become unreachable."
The party alleges that the prosecutor's office has now seized all video records and server equipment from Sheraton Batumi, leaving no copies of the footage behind. They argue this is part of a coordinated effort between investigators and Sheraton to destroy evidence. The party also expressed concerns about user data on the seized servers, claiming it is now at risk.
"These actions point to coordinated efforts to cover up the crime, and we believe Sheraton Batumi was actively involved," the statement read.
