Member of the European Parliament Rasa Juknevičienė strongly condemned the sentencing of Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, calling it a politically motivated act and a blow to Georgia’s democratic aspirations.

“Mzia Amaglibeli just sentenced to 2 years in prison. This is not just political persecution of a brilliant journalist. Mzia has become a symbol of Georgian’s fight for a European future,” Juknevičienė wrote on the X platform, responding to the Batumi City Court's verdict.

She further stated, “Ivanishvili’s regime is killing freedom and democracy faster than the Kremlin did in Russia,” drawing a sharp comparison between the political climate in Georgia and that of authoritarian regimes.

Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was initially detained on January 11 during a protest near the Batumi Police Main Department. Although initially released on recognisance, she was later re-arrested under Article 353 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which pertains to assaulting a police officer—a charge that carries a potential sentence of four to seven years.

The court ultimately sentenced Amaglobeli to two years in prison. Her case has drawn sharp criticism from domestic civil society and international partners, with concerns over the state of press freedom and the rule of law in Georgia intensifying.