Defenders of Georgian journalist Mziya Amaglobeli request court to recognize her as a victim

Advocates of Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Batumelebi” and “Netgazeti” online publications, request a court to recognize the journalist as a victim, since she was injured after her detention.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on February 14, the court left Mziya Amaglobeli in custody. On February 18, the journalist agreed to stop her hunger strike, which she had been continuing during 38 days. Mziya Amaglobeli stays in a clinic.

The “Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association” (GYLA) NGO has appealed to the Tbilisi City Court with a request to recognize Mziya Amaglobeli as a victim, since the journalist was subjected to a “harsh and unlawful” arrest with physical violence. As a result, Mziya Amaglobeli got injuries, which were recorded in the results of her medical examination.

The NGO indicated that after her detention, Mziya Amaglobeli was treated cruelly. In particular, the journalist was subjected to indecent treatment from Irakli Dgebuadze, the chief of the Batumi police. The police officer was insulting the journalist and threatening with institution of a criminal case against her. The chief of the Batumi police made several attempts to use physical violence against the journalist, but police inspectors managed to restrain him. Once Irakli Dgebuadze spat in the Mziya Amaglobeli’s face. The journalist was not allowed to drink water or use a toilet, and her request to be visited by an advocate was ignored. During several hours, the advocate was not allowed to visit the detained journalist.