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Tbilisi, Georgia — The health of imprisoned journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli continues to deteriorate as her hunger strike reaches its third week in the Rustavi prison facility near Tbilisi, according to her attorney. The 49-year-old journalist is now struggling to walk even short distances, raising serious concerns among human rights advocates, colleagues, and family members about her well-being.
Amaghlobeli was apprehended on January 12 during an anti-government rally in Batumi, a coastal city, amid a nationwide wave of protests that has seen over 40 individuals arrested on criminal charges related to the demonstrations. These protests have erupted as a response to the political unrest following a parliamentary election that was claimed by the ruling Georgian Dream party. Opposition groups allege widespread electoral fraud.
The aftermath of the election has seen Georgia gravitating closer to Russia, traditionally its former imperial master, deviating from its aspirations to join the European Union (EU). Following the elections, Georgian Dream’s government halted accession talks with the EU, further aggravating tensions within a nation of approximately 3.7 million people.
In a bid to maintain its hold on power, the Georgian Dream administration has intensified its clampdown on civil liberties, mirroring the methods employed by President Vladimir Putin in Russia. This has included curtailing freedoms of assembly and expression.
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has defended the government’s stance, characterizing the protest actions as attempts to destabilize the state and likening them to Ukraine’s 2014 uprising which ousted a pro-Russian president.
Last year, Georgian Dream implemented restrictive legislation akin to laws in Russia that target rights groups and media organizations, while also imposing severe limitations on LGBTQ+ rights. These moves were met with substantial criticism from the EU and prompted subsequent protests.
Former President Salome Zurabishvili has emerged as a prominent critic of the Georgian Dream regime, alleging that the party engaged in election manipulation and labeling the previous year’s elections as fraudulent. Recent analyses by two U.S.-based polling organizations supported her allegations, identifying discrepancies in the official election results.
On December 3, 2024, the Constitutional Court dismissed Zurabishvili’s plea to invalidate the election results, heightening the unrest in the streets. Following a series of political changes under Kobakhidze, Zurabishvili was removed from office at the end of 2024, but she has refused to recognize her successor as the legitimate leader.
Russia has opposed Georgia’s aspirations to align more closely with Western entities, employing its economic and political leverage to thwart these ambitions. Further complicating matters, Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and continues to occupy the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
In a recent interview, Zurabishvili spoke out against Russia’s methods, declaring that Moscow’s influence in Georgian politics forms part of a broader “hybrid war” directed at Western strength. She highlighted tactics of disinformation and economic pressure as tools to prevent Georgia’s integration into Europe.
Amaghlobeli, who established two well-known independent media platforms in Georgia, faces allegations of assaulting a police officer and could face up to seven years in prison. Reports indicate that individuals arrested during the protests have experienced verbal and physical abuse while in police custody, raising alarm among international human rights organizations.
“The situation suggests a coordinated effort to suppress these largely peaceful demonstrations,” commented Alice Jill Edwards, the U.N. special rapporteur on torture and cruel treatment.
Footage emerged showing Amaghlobeli striking Batumi’s police chief during the protest, but her defenders argue the action was a reaction to prior police mistreatment. Allegations of continued abuse emerged during her detention, with assertions that the police chief had denied her basic needs like water and toilet access, as reported by her lawyer Juba Sikharulidze.
While authorities have opened investigations into these allegations, the Interior Ministry has not yet provided a response to media inquiries. Kobakhidze indicated that incidents involving excessive use of force would be scrutinized, yet he remains firm that Amaghlobeli’s actions were clear-cut given the public visibility.
Amaghlobeli’s hunger strike has escalated the concern among Georgian and Western advocates, prompting comments from Michael O’Flaherty of the Council of Europe, who described her situation as critical. He emphasized the urgent need for action, highlighting that this matter transcends the typical issues of freedom and imprisonment and enters the realm of life-and-death stakes.
Amaghlobeli’s arrest has created a chilling effect among journalists within the country. Nestan Tsetskhladze, editor of Netgazeti, expressed concern that if such treatment can be meted out to a prominent independent media figure, others in the field face the same or potentially worse repercussions.
Another individual embroiled in the political unrest is Andro Chichinadze, an actor who actively participated in recent protests. Arrested on charges of “participating in group violence,” which could lead to a nine-year sentence, Chichinadze’s situation has drawn attention to the broader governmental crackdown on dissent.
Demonstrations have persisted across Georgia, with reports of police confronting protesters with force, resulting in multiple arrests. The government has indicated a move towards enforcing stricter penalties for protest-related offenses, a move seen as reflective of increasing authoritarian methods.
Eka Gigauri of Transparency International Georgia articulated concerns that the government’s actions resemble tactics employed in Russia and Belarus against political opponents, a sentiment echoed by Chichinadze’s mother, who characterized the current environmental shifts as a betrayal of Georgia’s European aspirations.
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