Imprisoned Georgian Journalist Mzia Amaglobeli's Letter Read at Vaclav Havel Prize Ceremony
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
At the opening of the Parliamentary Assembly's autumn session in Strasbourg on September 29, a letter from imprisoned Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli was read aloud as she was honored as a finalist for the 2025 Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize.
Amaglobeli, represented by her lawyer and human rights defender Maia Mtsariashvili, used the message to describe the dangers of working as a journalist in Georgia and to accuse the ruling Georgian Dream party of eroding fundamental freedoms.
"Being a journalist in Georgia today means making sacrifices," she wrote. "My colleagues have to work in a hostile and dangerous environment every day. They are persecuted, blackmailed, harassed, deliberately attacked, and physically abused."
Her letter condemned the adoption of "Russian laws" designed to silence independent voices. "The one-party parliament hastily approved 'Russian laws' for us, practically banning freedom of speech, and equating attracting grant investments and cooperation with international organizations with being an agent and treason - exactly as happened in Russia," Amaglobeli said.
She also claimed that Georgia currently holds more than 60 political prisoners, including artists, teachers, students, and journalists. "Today, in my homeland, Georgia, the government is seized by a regime that serves Russian interests," she wrote.
Amaglobeli stressed that Georgians remain committed to a European future. "For more than 300 days, the citizens of my country have been protesting in the streets without stopping, because we, Georgians, believe that the European Union is the guarantor of democratic values," the letter said. "We see ourselves next to you, so I would like to ask you - before it is too late, do not leave us alone and face to face with Russia! Stand by us in the fight for freedom."
The Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for 2025 was awarded to Ukrainian journalist Maksim Butkevich. Azerbaijani journalist Ulvi Hasanli was also named a finalist.
