
A court hearing was held at Batumi City Court for Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of the independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, to review the preventive measure imposed on her. Judge Nino Sakhelashvili ruled to keep Amaghlobeli in pretrial detention.
The prosecution argued that Amaghlobeli posed a risk of committing further offenses, prompting the judge's decision to maintain her custody. The ruling sparked an outcry in the courtroom, where Amaghlobeli was present and directly addressed the judge.
“This is all a formality,” she said. “Rather than focusing on my imprisonment, the country is arresting students daily for the same reasons I’m here — even a single mother. My solidarity is with prisoners of conscience. I expect punishment harsher than what Mate Devidze received — not because I deserve it, but because of the political pressure you’re under. I don’t believe you became judges to serve a regime or oligarchic government. Follow your conscience.”
Her lawyer, Mzia Mtsariashvili, raised concerns over Amaghlobeli’s deteriorating health, specifically severe vision impairment that predates her arrest. “She has virtually no vision in one eye — only 0.4%, and the other requires corrective lenses to reach 40%. All documentation, including from the Public Defender, confirms this. Still, the court chose not to consider it,” said Mtsariashvili.
In response, Prosecutor Tornike Gogeshvili stated, “Health condition is not a ground for release, as appropriate medical services are available to Mzia Amaghlobeli.”
The session took place amid ongoing protests outside the courthouse. Several representatives of the diplomatic corps were also in attendance.
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