**Journalist Faces Jail, Pressure Grows for Release**
Mzia Amaghlobeli, the director of online news outlet Batumelebi/Netgazeti, is in trouble. International journalists and press freedom groups are calling for her release from jail.
Amaghlobeli was arrested on January 12 for allegedly assaulting a police officer. This could get her up to seven years in prison. She went on hunger strike while in detention, but stopped eating on February 18 after being warned by doctors that she might die if she didn’t eat.
The International Press Institute (IPI) is leading the call for Amaghlobeli’s release. They say the charges against her are too harsh and that she should be investigated separately from the allegations of mistreatment while in detention.
**Global Support**
Many organizations and individuals have signed a statement supporting Amaghlobeli. This includes over 200 people and 84 groups like journalists’ unions and human rights defenders.
The IPI says Amaghlobeli’s arrest is part of a broader crackdown on democracy protests and attacks on independent media in Georgia. They want her to get medical care, not go back to prison.
**Not the First Time**
Amaghlobeli isn’t the first journalist to face trouble from the Georgian government. Since November 2024, many representatives of free and independent media have been beaten up, arrested, or fined.
The global IPI network strongly condemned these attacks in December, saying it’s very concerning that journalists are being targeted by both state security forces and private individuals.
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