"When I was elected as Georgia’s first female president, I could never have imagined that a day would come when practically all freedoms would be endangered, violated, and gradually disappear from my country. I could never have imagined that I would witness the successive imprisonment of pro-European party leaders solely at the whim of those in power," said Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, during her speech at the National Congress of Romania’s Save Romania Union in Bucharest.

According to her, she could never have envisioned that the situation in Georgia would deteriorate to such an extent, plunging the country into a severe crisis.

"I could never have imagined that the media in Georgia would suddenly disappear one after another, be forcibly shut down, and vanish due to a lack of freedom, funding, and everything else. Today, Georgia stands at a crossroads. The current regime, which was not elected, not chosen in free and fair elections, has decided, against our Constitution and, more importantly, against the will of the people, to sharply turn away from Europe and democracy.

For years, Georgia pursued European integration, implemented significant reforms, earned support across the continent, and despite recent waves of anti-EU propaganda, approximately 80% of Georgians still firmly support EU membership. Yet today, the will of this vast majority is being ignored," she stated.

During her speech, Salome Zurabishvili also noted that the Georgian government adopts authoritarian laws on a daily basis with the aim of suppressing public protests. According to Zourabichvili, Mzia Amaghlobeli has become a symbol of oppression by the authorities.

"The ruling regime is turning its back on Europe, adopting near-authoritarian legislation daily, introducing measures reminiscent of Kremlin-style or Moscow-drafted laws, and suppressing resistance. For over 200 days, protests have been held in the streets, independent media are under attack, opposition leaders are imprisoned, and 60 activists await sentencing. Today in Georgia, pre-trial detention lasts nine months, which is longer than in Russia. A journalist, a woman, Mzia Amaghlobeli, has become the face and symbol of this struggle. She faces seven to nine years in prison for nothing, yet for everything, because she fought and will continue to fight, even from prison. Repression, intimidation, control—and still, the people do not give up," she declared.