TBILISI, August 5 – A Georgian court will deliver a verdict on August 6 in the high-profile case of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, who is charged with assaulting a senior police officer during a protest earlier this year. Amaghlobeli, the founder of newspapers Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January after slapping a police chief in … Read more
TBILISI, August 2 – Demonstrators gathered in Batumi over the weekend to demand the release of several individuals detained during recent opposition protests. The march, involving opposition party members, NGO representatives, and civic activists, ended outside the regional government building of Adjara, where daily demonstrations have continued for months. Participants expressed solidarity with those detained … Read more
TBILISI, July 31 – A Georgian court is expected to deliver its verdict August 1 in the criminal trial of journalist and newspaper founder Mzia Amaglobeli, in a case that has sparked international outrage. Supporters of Amaglobeli are planning to gather outside Batumi City Court during the final hearing waiting for the verdict. They argue … Read more
TBILISI, July 30 – Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has issued a strongly worded public statement ahead of the final court hearing in the trial of editor Mzia Amaglobeili, calling it a defining moment for the country’s future. Writing on social media, Zourabichvili described 1 August as a watershed date, saying it would mark a … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A jailed newspaper editor in Georgia has been offered a plea deal by prosecutors as her trial draws to an end. Founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, is on trial for slapping a police officer during a January protest. Her trial has drawn widespread condemnation. As the court goes through the evidence, the … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A jailed newspaper editor in Georgia has been offered a plea deal by prosecutors as her trial draws to an end. Founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, is on trial for slapping a police officer during a January protest. Her trial has drawn widespread condemnation. As the court goes through the evidence, the … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into Mtavari Arkhi, one of the opposition’s most effective television channels, just two months after it permanently ceased broadcasting due to financial difficulties. The Prosecutor General’s Office said the probe targets alleged “abuse of managerial authority”, “embezzlement”, and “money laundering” by company executives. The investigation was triggered … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–In Batumi, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, journalist and co‑founder of outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, Mzia Amaghlobeli, was fined 1,000 GEL (USD 365) for placing a protest sticker outside the regional police headquarters. The incident took place during an opposition rally in January. The sticker bore the message “Georgia Swears an Oath” and was meant … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–A day after Rustavi 2’s new owner laid out his plans to revamp Georgia’s biggest opposition TV company, the newly appointed director sacks several of its key journalists. The list outlined on Tuesday by Paata Salia, Rustavi 2’s new director, includes the head of its news division Nodar Melia, and news anchor Giorgi Gabunia, … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The new owner of Rustavi 2 is not planning to sell his shares. Instead, Kibar Shalvashi plans to develop Georgia’s largest opposition TV channel as a “critical and rigorous” outlet. “I consider it my primary duty to put television freed from Saakashvili into public service and regain confidence, to be critical and rigorous, but … Read more