**Journalist Charged for Assault on Police Officer**
Mzia Amaghlobeli, a prominent journalist in Georgia, has been charged with assaulting a police officer. She faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty.
The charges were brought against her after she allegedly assaulted Irakli Dgebuadze, the head of the Batumi City Division of the Adjara Police Department. The prosecutor claimed that Amaghlobeli’s actions were motivated by “revenge”.
**International Concern**
Amaghlobeli’s arrest has sparked international concern over the erosion of civil liberties in Georgia. The U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson has called for her immediate release, stating that she and other political prisoners must be freed.
Amnesty International has also condemned the Georgian authorities’ use of new laws to suppress peaceful protest. The organization pointed out that Amaghlobeli was arrested for distributing a sticker calling for a nationwide strike, which Amnesty described as a “symbolic act of dissent”.
**Journalists Face Hostility**
Women in Journalism, an advocacy group supporting women and LGBTQI journalists, has voiced strong disapproval of the targeting of Amaghlobeli. The organization highlighted the broader climate of hostility faced by female journalists in Georgia, with dozens having faced harassment and police violence since protests began in November.
**EU Condemns Repression**
The European Union‘s Lead Spokesperson for Foreign and Security Policy, Anitta Hipper, has condemned the repression against peaceful protesters in Batumi and Tbilisi. The EU has called for the release of those unjustly detained and consequences for officials involved in these actions.
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