The International Press Institute (IPI) today marks one year since the sentencing of World Press Freedom Hero Mzia Amaglobeli to two years of imprisonment in Georgia and renews its call for her immediate release.

“Amaglobeli, the founder and co-director of two of Georgia’s most prominent independent media outlets Netgazeti and Batumelebi, was sentenced to two years in prison on 6 August 2025, following more than 200 days in unjust pretrial detention and a politicized trial.

The journalist, who was granted IPI’s World Press Freedom Hero award in 2025, is the first female journalist to be imprisoned in Georgia’s 34 years of independence. She has now been behind bars for a total of 19 months, during which time her health and eyesight have deteriorated”, reads the statement of the organization.