A third complaint about the violation of Mzia Amaglobeli's rights has been filed with the ECHR.
On the day of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli's arrest, security forces in Batumi committed inhumane treatment against her, as well as other violations of the European Convention on Human Rights, human rights activists have alleged in a new complaint to the ECHR.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has already filed two complaints with the European Court of Human Rights in connection with the case of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the publications Netgazeti and Batumelebi. One complaint concerns violations during the application of a preventive measure, and the second concerns the journalist's administrative detention.
In August 2025, a court in Batumi sentenced Mzia Amaglobeli to two years in prison for slapping the city's police chief. The appellate court upheld the sentence. The defense appealed this decision, but the Supreme Court of Georgia refused to accept the case for consideration. Therefore, the appellate court's decision stood, and the appeals process was exhausted.
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, on behalf of Mzia Amaglobeli, filed a complaint with the ECHR concerning Amaglobeli's ill-treatment on the day of her arrest, January 12, 2025, InterPressNews reports.
According to human rights activists, after her arrest, Amaglobeli suffered physical injuries, and her jacket was torn. She was subjected to insults, threats, and attempted physical violence. She was also denied access to a lawyer for several hours, searched without a lawyer present, and handcuffed, even though this was unnecessary, the publication writes.
After her arrest, Amaglobeli reported that security officers insulted her at the station, the police chief swore at her, spit in her face, and attempted to use force, but other officers stopped him. For three hours, she was denied access to water, toilet facilities, or legal counsel.
In their complaint to the ECHR, the lawyers stated that Article 3 (prohibition of torture, inhuman, and degrading treatment), Article 8 (right to privacy), Article 13 (right to an effective remedy), and Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention on Human Rights were violated in Mzia Amaglobeli's case.
Human rights activists noted that this is already the third complaint filed with the ECHR regarding Amaglobeli's case. "The first case concerns the unlawful use of detention as a preventive measure against Mzia, for which GYLA has already submitted a written response to the state's position, and the complaint in the second case, concerning the administrative detention of Mzia Amaglobeli and related violations, has already been registered with the European Court," the publication quoted the organization's statement.
As a reminder, on the night of January 12, 2025, 10 people were detained in Batumi, including Mzia Amaglobeli. Amaglobeli was detained for posting a poster calling for a general strike on a wall. When Amaglobeli was released, she found herself in a stampede, where an incident occurred involving the city's police chief, Irakli Dgebuadze. According to a silent video published by the Imedi TV channel, Amaglobeli, surrounded and held by police, said something to Dgebuadze, who responded and then turned away. Amaglobeli sharply rebuked him and slapped him. The journalist was subsequently detained again, according to the Caucasian Knot report "The Mzia Amaglobeli Case: Circumstances of the Arrest and the Campaign in Defense of the Journalist."
On January 11, female politicians demonstrated outside the Rustavi prison to demand the release of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the publications Netgazeti and Batumelebi. They unfurled banners reading "Mzia Amaglobeli a Year in Prison!", "Freedom for Prisoners of Conscience!", and others.
Amaglobeli's case has also received international attention. The Vice President of the European Parliament called on the Georgian Dream party to release the journalist, who is losing her sight in prison. Pina Picerno proposed sending Amaglobeli abroad for treatment so that she could receive specialized medical care and preserve her vision.
Mzia Amaglobeli is deprived of the opportunity to undergo examination and receive treatment to preserve her vision, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association stated in late November 2025, calling on the Minister of Justice and the Ombudsman to intervene in the situation.
In October 2025, the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly published a resolution demanding the release of Mzia Amaglobeli.
On January 12, the anniversary of the journalist's arrest, diplomatic missions from 23 countries and the European Union called the sentence politically motivated. Amaglobeli and called for her release.
Since the journalist's arrest, demands for her release and an investigation into the actions of the Batumi police leadership have also been voiced at the mass protests that have taken place daily in Georgia since November 2024.
In October 2025, Mzia Amaglobeli received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, which is the European Union's highest award for human rights activities.