Journalists have founded a movement demanding the release of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder and director of the online publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti. This was announced by journalist Nino Zautashvili on a special joint broadcast of TV channels Pirveli, Formula, and Kavkasia. Zautashvili herself was dismissed a few weeks ago from her position as host of the Real Space program on the Public Broadcaster.
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"Our colleague is a prisoner of conscience, and every mechanism of the system is fighting her simultaneously. We, journalists and representatives of independent media consider her arrest an attack on freedom of speech, an attempt to stifle and tame it. That is why the people gathered here, and many other colleagues who could not fit in the studio, are founding a movement for Mzia's freedom.
We demand the immediate release of Mzia Amaghlobeli. We declare once again that Mzia has not committed a criminal offense and she is being punished for her journalistic activities.
Our movement will not tolerate the captivity of a journalist and will use all local and international platforms for Mzia's freedom," said Nino Zautashvili.
Everything about Mzia Amaghlobeli's Case, a film by Georgian News, was simultaneously aired on the special broadcast of the three television channels.
"There has never been such a challenging period in the history of independent Georgia, especially for the free media, as we have now.
I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I know what is today - one of us is now in prison, which has not happened in Georgia since the communists. Mzia has been imprisoned for an action that is not a crime under current legislation. The most that can be called what she did is an insult, a misdemeanor, and not a crime. The most a diligent, revenge-thirsty government could impose for this act is a fine or detention for a few days. A few days, not already four months, and certainly not up to seven years of imprisonment.
Why they are punishing Mzia - we talked about this in the film as well, but Mzia's captivity is part of the Georgian Dream's unbridled policy against critical media. Ivanishvili's commissioners have tried to subjugate us many times and in various ways, including with the Russian Law introduced two years ago, but they have not succeeded to this day.
We tell Ivanishvili and his administrators: we will not yield Mzia to you, nor will we yield to you the freedom that is most precious to us! The journalists' movement will plan a series of activities and events to free Mzia from captivity," stated Gela Mtivlishvili, editor of Georgian News.
Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested on January 12 for slapping the head of the Batumi police. A case was filed against her under the article of assaulting a police officer. If the "charge" is proven, Mzia Amaghlobeli faces 4 to 7 years in prison.
