I reiterate our call: immediately release Mzia Amaghlobeli, who has spent over 200 days in detention for a single slap – wrote German MEP Sergey Lagodinsky on X.

“Mzia Amaghlobeli has just been sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment. As a Member of the European Parliament and Co-Chair of Euronest, I reiterate our call: immediately release Mzia Amaghlobeli, a courageous journalist who has spent over 200 days in detention for a single slap. During her trial, the Georgian authorities have acted even more harshly: based on tax demands, they are seizing the assets of ‘Batumelebi’ and ‘Netgazeti,’” Lagodinsky writes.

According to him, “Georgia’s ruling party must abandon the path of criminal prosecution and respect media freedom.”

For reference, Judge Nino Sakhelashvili of the Batumi City Court reclassified the charge against Mzia Amaghlobeli, the founder of “Batumelebi.”

Specifically, she was charged under Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to resistance, threats, or violence against a public order protector or other representative of the authorities.

The judge sentenced Mzia Amaghlobeli to 2 years of imprisonment.