The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has issued a strong statement condemning the recent sentencing of prominent Georgian media manager Mzia Amaglobeli to two years in prison, calling the verdict “horrifying” and deeply alarming for the state of media freedom in the country.
“The outrageous two-year sentence meted out to widely respected journalist Mzia Amaglobeli is emblematic of Georgia’s increasing use of authoritarian tactics to strike fear into the independent media. Georgian authorities must end their persecution of Amaglobeli by not contesting her appeal and investigating alleged rights violations during her detention",- CPJ Chief Global Affairs Officer Gypsy Guillén Kaiser said.
Mzia Amaglobeli, known for her leadership role in Batumelebi and Netgazeti, two of Georgia’s respected independent media outlets, was sentenced in a case widely condemned by local watchdogs, international human rights groups, and diplomatic missions as politically motivated.
The CPJ’s statement adds to growing international backlash over the Georgian government’s treatment of journalists. Just days earlier, 24 diplomatic missions, including the EU and UK, condemned Amaglobeli’s sentence as “disproportionate and politicized,” highlighting her deteriorating health during prolonged pretrial detention and the broader crackdown on press freedom in the country.
