The lawyer for Mzia Amaglobeli, Jumber Katamadze, reported on his client on Wednesday, speaking from the Vivamedi clinic where Amaglobeli was taken for medical tests. February 5 marks the 25th day of Amaglobeli’s imprisonment and hunger strike. Although weakened and struggling to move, Katamadze says Amaglobeli remains determined to continue her hunger strike.
Katamadze explained that certain tests were conducted at the clinic, and those tests were scheduled to be repeated the following day. He emphasized that Amaglobeli was transferred to the clinic for routine medical tests, not because of any specific health issue.
Amaglobeli, who is on hunger strike “for all political prisoners,” has called on others who are hunger striking in solidarity with her to stop. “Mzia Amaglobeli also told me that the cynical statements she hears from representatives of the Georgian Dream only give her more motivation to continue her hunger strike,” Katamadze shared.
Despite pressure from colleagues urging her to end the hunger strike, Amaglobeli remains resolute. Katamadze noted, “I asked Amaglobeli to end her hunger strike, as her colleagues are urging her to do, but she refuses and, at the same time, asks for the issue of her hunger strike not to be brought to the forefront.”
Amaglobeli is facing 4 to 7 years in prison for slapping a police officer during her arrest on January 12, an incident that led to her detention. On January 14, Batumi City Court ordered her imprisonment as a preventive measure under Article 353 of the Criminal Code. Human rights organizations and political figures, both in Georgia and abroad, consider her a political prisoner.
Protests demanding Amaglobeli’s release have intensified, with journalists and activists calling for her immediate freedom. On February 4, a rally was held outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi, where participants demanded her release and rejected the legislative changes proposed by the Georgian Dream party. Protesters marched to the side entrance of Parliament, where tensions rose between demonstrators and law enforcement. Two individuals were removed by the police, but the rally continued, with a significant police presence in the area.
International concern over Amaglobeli’s detention has also grown. On January 31, 14 embassies from the Media Freedom Coalition issued a joint statement expressing alarm over her situation. They condemned her pre-trial detention as unjustified and called for her immediate release. The statement also referenced the Media Freedom Coalition’s earlier position on the excessive use of force against journalists, urging Georgian authorities to uphold the rights of journalists facing police violence.
Regarding Amaglobeli’s health, Malkhaz Urtkmelidze, the head of the Special Penitentiary Service’s Medical Department, stated on January 31, that “Mzia Amaglobeli’s condition is satisfactory and stable. She is being monitored continuously. Laboratory tests are conducted almost daily.” However, he also urged Amaglobeli to end her hunger strike, emphasizing that her health and safety remain a priority.
Despite these concerns, the protests continue, with mounting calls for the Georgian authorities to review Amaglobeli’s case and to address the broader issues of press freedom and political dissent in the country.
By Team GT
