EU Delegation Marks One Year Since Arrest of Batumelebi Founder Mzia Amaglobeli
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
The European Union Delegation to Georgia marked the one-year anniversary of the arrest of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli by reiterating international calls for her release and condemning what it described as a politically motivated case.
"Today marks one year since Mzia Amaglobeli's arrest. We reiterate the joint statement of 6 August 2025 by 24 diplomatic missions," the EU Delegation wrote in a post on social media, sharing the statement issued last year.
The joint statement, signed by diplomatic missions from Europe and beyond, condemned Amaglobeli's sentencing to two years in prison as "disproportionate and politicized." The signatories include Austria, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, representing members of the Media Freedom Coalition and aligned missions to Georgia.
"Mzia Amaglobeli's case is further aggravated by her prolonged pretrial detention, during which her health condition, and especially her eyesight, has deteriorated significantly," the statement said.
Diplomats said the case reflects broader pressure on independent media in Georgia. "The case of Mzia Amaglobeli and the pressure on Batumelebi and Netgazeti exemplify the escalating intimidation of journalists in Georgia, including unpunished violence and legal persecution," the statement said, adding that such actions violate Georgia's international obligations on media freedom and freedom of expression.
The statement also recalled a Media Freedom Coalition declaration issued on December 20, 2024, condemning intimidation and violence against journalists and media workers.
"We express our solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli and call for her immediate release," the statement said.
Amaglobeli is the founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, two prominent independent media outlets in Georgia. Her arrest and sentencing have drawn sustained criticism from international media freedom organizations and Western diplomats.
