Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Citizen Detained by Russian Forces Near Occupied Tskhinvali
A Georgian citizen was detained by Russian occupation forces near the village of Upper Khviti in Gori municipality, close to the occupied Tskhinvali region, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced on September 9.
According to the agency, the EU Monitoring Mission's hotline was activated immediately, and international partners as well as the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions were informed.
The SSSG said that all available tools are being used to secure the individual's release. "All available mechanisms have been activated to secure the citizen's release in the shortest possible time," the agency stated. It added that "all responsibility lies with the occupying power."
Mzia Amaghlobeli Wins Free Media Award
Mzia Amaghlobeli, a Georgian journalist and founder of the Batumelebi and Netgazeti online outlets, has been named a laureate of the 2025 Free Media Awards. The annual prizes, presented by Norway's Fritt Ord Foundation and Germany's Zeit-Stiftung, honor journalists and media in Central and Eastern Europe working under difficult conditions.
Amaghlobeli is one of six recipients this year. She was arrested in January after slapping police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during protests in Batumi and, in August, was sentenced to two years in prison. Her detention has sparked widespread criticism at home and abroad, with rights groups describing the case as politically motivated.
The award announcement highlighted Amaghlobeli's long career. "Journalist and media founder Mzia Amaghlobeli has become the face of independent journalism in Georgia," the statement said. "She is receiving a Free Media Award for 25 years of commitment to journalistic integrity and ethical judgment, during which time she has established two of the most popular and trusted news platforms in the country: Batumelebi and Netgazeti."
In August, Amaghlobeli was also shortlisted for the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, alongside journalists from Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
