Foreign diplomats accused the Georgian authorities of election fraud against the background of the Amaglobela case
The Embassy of the Czech Republic made a categorical statement, reproaching the Georgian authorities in electoral justice. Diplomats noted that "on the one hand, the founder and director of the critical online media Batumelebi and Netgazeti is being held in custody for slapping the police chief of Batumi during an emotional dispute, and on the other hand, none of the masked people who brutally attacked the TV Pirveli reporter, cameraman and other journalists during the protests in Tbilisi and Batumi have been brought to justice." A number of other diplomatic missions also made statements with the same message.
On March 5, the Batumi City Court rejected the defense's request and left Mzya Amaglobela in custody until the end of the investigation. The journalist faces up to 7 years in prison in the case of the attack on the police chief Iraklii Dgebuadze: according to the investigation, she slapped him. In addition, Amaglobeli is accused of disobeying the police (Article 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia). She did not admit her guilt.
"No, I do not agree with the accusation, I consider my arrest illegal. Fortunately, the dictatorship was not able to gain a foothold in my family, so I believe that I and other prisoners of conscience will be able to prove my innocence," the journalist addressed the judge.
As a sign of solidarity with the head of the independent mass media, the Ambassador of Lithuania Darius Vytkauskas and representatives of the embassies of Norway, the Czech Republic, and Great Britain came to the meeting on her case. The hearings were held against the background of protests demanding the release of the defendant.
The Georgian authorities take a tough position on the Amaglobela case, and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that he expects her to repent.
