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Appeal filed in Kutaisi Court against Batumi Court’s rejection to overturn Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention

Appeal filed in Kutaisi Court against Batumi Court’s rejection to overturn Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention
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The legal representatives of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the publishing houses Batumelebi and Netgazeti, have once again filed an appeal with the Kutaisi Court of Appeals, requesting the annulment of the detention imposed on her.

The information was disseminated by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).

According to the statement, the newly submitted appeal presents another opportunity for the Georgian judiciary to end the political persecution against Mzia Amaghlobeli and put an end to her unlawful detention.

"Today, we once again submitted an appeal to the Kutaisi Court of Appeals, requesting the annulment of the detention imposed on Mzia Amaghlobeli. Previously, the same court had refused to consider the defense’s appeal against her detention.

The newly filed appeal challenges the unlawful decision made by the Batumi City Court on February 14. As the public is aware, on February 13, 2025, we once again appealed to the Batumi City Court to annul Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. However, on February 14, Judge Levan Qolbaia rejected the motion as inadmissible.

We unequivocally state that there is no legal basis to justify Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. Her imprisonment does not serve any legitimate purpose. The rejection of our motion represents an artificial barrier designed to prevent the court from reviewing new, irrefutable evidence and circumstances presented in the appeal.

The new ruling of the Batumi City Court, much like the one issued on January 14, 2025, is unlawful and unsubstantiated, as it blatantly violates both the current Criminal Procedure Code and all relevant international legal standards.

On January 14, 2025, the Batumi City Court imposed detention on Mzia Amaghlobeli based on two grounds:

The alleged risk of witness intimidationThe alleged risk of committing a new offenseThese claims were artificial and unsubstantiated in the January 14 ruling. Nevertheless, the Appeals Court refused to consider the defense’s appeal.

The case materials in our possession reveal that after requesting Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention, the investigation questioned only four police officers from the Adjara Police Department—two of whom had already been interviewed before. It is evident that her detention was unnecessary for questioning these officers, as there was no reasonable suspicion—let alone actual risk—that she could have exerted any influence over them. Additionally, the charge against Mzia Amaghlobeli is based on video footage, which cannot be altered through witness intimidation.

The initial justification for her detention also cited a prior administrative arrest record, which was used to claim that she had previously committed an administrative offense, allegedly indicating a high risk of reoffending.

However, as confirmed by media footage, Mzia Amaghlobeli’s administrative arrest was unlawful. She was detained for placing a so-called "sticker" on the fence of an administrative building—an act that does not constitute an administrative offense. After the arrest, the police falsified the arrest report, falsely claiming that she had been detained for verbally insulting the police.

Not only does the video footage contradict the false claims in the arrest report, but it also clearly shows that Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested without committing any offense. Throughout her arrest and subsequent detention, she remained silent and did not utter a single word—let alone insult the police. She complied without resistance to the unlawful detention carried out by the head of the Adjara Police Department, Grigol Beselia.

Accordingly, the court was obligated to accept the defense’s motion, review the newly presented evidence—including video files—hold an oral hearing, and annul Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. The court must ensure that the prosecution bears the appropriate burden of proof in response to the defense’s arguments. However, in this case, Batumi City Court Judge L. Qolbaia not only refused to hold an oral hearing but also violated the principles of equality of arms and adversarial proceedings in favor of the prosecution. Worse still, the judge essentially acted on behalf of the prosecution by unilaterally deciding—without any hearings—that the new evidence presented by the defense did not mitigate the risks initially cited by the lower court.

Moreover, the court deliberately omitted and failed to evaluate the new evidence and circumstances submitted by the defense, further demonstrating that Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention is intended as punitive retaliation for her journalistic work and active civic engagement.

With today’s newly submitted appeal, the Georgian judiciary has another opportunity to put an end to the political persecution against Mzia Amaghlobeli and to end her unlawful detention.

Mzia Amaghlobeli’s legal representatives: Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)BLB Law Firm and its senior partner, Maia Mtsariashvili”, the statement said.

Appeal filed in Kutaisi Court against Batumi Court’s rejection to overturn Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention

The legal representatives of Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the publishing houses Batumelebi and Netgazeti, have once again filed an appeal with the Kutaisi Court of Appeals, requesting the annulment of the detention imposed on her.

The information was disseminated by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).

According to the statement, the newly submitted appeal presents another opportunity for the Georgian judiciary to end the political persecution against Mzia Amaghlobeli and put an end to her unlawful detention.

"Today, we once again submitted an appeal to the Kutaisi Court of Appeals, requesting the annulment of the detention imposed on Mzia Amaghlobeli. Previously, the same court had refused to consider the defense’s appeal against her detention.

The newly filed appeal challenges the unlawful decision made by the Batumi City Court on February 14. As the public is aware, on February 13, 2025, we once again appealed to the Batumi City Court to annul Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. However, on February 14, Judge Levan Qolbaia rejected the motion as inadmissible.

We unequivocally state that there is no legal basis to justify Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. Her imprisonment does not serve any legitimate purpose. The rejection of our motion represents an artificial barrier designed to prevent the court from reviewing new, irrefutable evidence and circumstances presented in the appeal.

The new ruling of the Batumi City Court, much like the one issued on January 14, 2025, is unlawful and unsubstantiated, as it blatantly violates both the current Criminal Procedure Code and all relevant international legal standards.

On January 14, 2025, the Batumi City Court imposed detention on Mzia Amaghlobeli based on two grounds:

The alleged risk of witness intimidationThe alleged risk of committing a new offenseThese claims were artificial and unsubstantiated in the January 14 ruling. Nevertheless, the Appeals Court refused to consider the defense’s appeal.

The case materials in our possession reveal that after requesting Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention, the investigation questioned only four police officers from the Adjara Police Department—two of whom had already been interviewed before. It is evident that her detention was unnecessary for questioning these officers, as there was no reasonable suspicion—let alone actual risk—that she could have exerted any influence over them. Additionally, the charge against Mzia Amaghlobeli is based on video footage, which cannot be altered through witness intimidation.

The initial justification for her detention also cited a prior administrative arrest record, which was used to claim that she had previously committed an administrative offense, allegedly indicating a high risk of reoffending.

However, as confirmed by media footage, Mzia Amaghlobeli’s administrative arrest was unlawful. She was detained for placing a so-called "sticker" on the fence of an administrative building—an act that does not constitute an administrative offense. After the arrest, the police falsified the arrest report, falsely claiming that she had been detained for verbally insulting the police.

Not only does the video footage contradict the false claims in the arrest report, but it also clearly shows that Mzia Amaghlobeli was arrested without committing any offense. Throughout her arrest and subsequent detention, she remained silent and did not utter a single word—let alone insult the police. She complied without resistance to the unlawful detention carried out by the head of the Adjara Police Department, Grigol Beselia.

Accordingly, the court was obligated to accept the defense’s motion, review the newly presented evidence—including video files—hold an oral hearing, and annul Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention. The court must ensure that the prosecution bears the appropriate burden of proof in response to the defense’s arguments. However, in this case, Batumi City Court Judge L. Qolbaia not only refused to hold an oral hearing but also violated the principles of equality of arms and adversarial proceedings in favor of the prosecution. Worse still, the judge essentially acted on behalf of the prosecution by unilaterally deciding—without any hearings—that the new evidence presented by the defense did not mitigate the risks initially cited by the lower court.

Moreover, the court deliberately omitted and failed to evaluate the new evidence and circumstances submitted by the defense, further demonstrating that Mzia Amaghlobeli’s detention is intended as punitive retaliation for her journalistic work and active civic engagement.

With today’s newly submitted appeal, the Georgian judiciary has another opportunity to put an end to the political persecution against Mzia Amaghlobeli and to end her unlawful detention.

Mzia Amaghlobeli’s legal representatives: Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)BLB Law Firm and its senior partner, Maia Mtsariashvili”, the statement said.

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