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Mzia Amaglobeli, a prominent Georgian journalist and founder of two independent media outlets, has been sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police chief during a protest last October. A court in the city of Batumi found her guilty of using violence against a public order protector a downgraded charge from the original accusation of assaulting a police officer. The incident, caught on video, shows Amaglobeli lightly slapping Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a tense exchange at a protest.
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Amaglobeli rejected the charges in court, calling them “malicious” and “insulting,” while international watchdogs and rights groups condemned the verdict. The Committee to Protect Journalists called the ruling “outrageous,” and critics argue that the act didn’t constitute serious violence under Georgian law. The sentence has amplified concerns about democratic backsliding and the erosion of press freedom in Georgia.
Amaglobeli’s sentencing comes against the backdrop of growing unrest in Georgia, where protests have erupted for over a year against the ruling Georgian Dream party’s perceived authoritarian tilt and abrupt halting of EU accession talks. Activists and diplomats view her imprisonment as symbolic of increasing repression of dissent and the press.
Western governments and diplomats reacted strongly. A joint statement from 24 embassies, including those of EU states, Canada, and the UK, condemned the ruling and what they described as “escalating intimidation of journalists.” Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and several EU diplomats attended the trial, showing high-level concern over Georgia’s democratic trajectory. Critics say the government is punishing dissenting voices like Amaglobeli while failing to hold police accountable for violent crackdowns on past protests.
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