Journalist at risk of going blind in jail

Mzia Amaghlobeli, a well-known journalist in Georgia, is at serious risk of losing her eyesight because prison authorities are denying her proper medical care. She has a degenerative eye condition, and her vision has worsened dramatically since her arrest.

Her right eye now has only 10% functionality, and she is nearly blind in her left eye. Since February 2025, repeated requests have been made to transfer her to a specialist eye clinic, but authorities continue to ignore them.

Without urgent treatment and a proper diagnosis, she could lose her remaining vision permanently.

Here’s what you can do:

Write to the Prosecutor General of Georgia urging the authorities to:

• Immediately transfer her to a specialist medical facility for proper diagnosis and treatment of her eye condition.
• Ensure her right to health and protection from ill-treatment by providing adequate medical care while in custody.
• Suspend all police officers involved in the alleged ill-treatment of her and other protestors until a full investigation is completed.
• Carry out prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, and transparent investigations into all allegations of ill-treatment, and take appropriate disciplinary, administrative, or criminal action in line with international fair trial standards.

Arrested for peacefully protesting

Mzia Amaghlobeli is a prominent journalist in Georgia and co-founder of the media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. On January 11, 2025, she was arrested twice during peaceful protests in Batumi, a city in southwestern Georgia.

Her first arrest happened when she tried to place a protest sticker on a building. This arrest was arbitrary, and many other peaceful protesters were also detained without cause. After being released, she returned to the protest. There, a verbal exchange with Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze led to her slapping him on the cheek. Police immediately detained her again.

In video footage shared publicly, the police chief and other officers can be heard swearing at her and threatening her while leading her away. She later told her lawyer that officers, including the police chief, verbally abused her in custody. She said he also tried to physically assault her but was stopped by his colleagues. She was denied access to a lawyer, water, and bathroom facilities for three hours.

Charged and denied bail

She was charged with “attacking a police officer” under Article 351(1) of the Criminal Code. On January 14, the judge denied her bail in a rushed court hearing. In protest of her treatment and the violation of her rights, she began a hunger strike that lasted 38 days.

Investigations delayed and lacking transparency

Georgia’s Special Investigation Service (SIS), which is responsible for investigating abuses by law enforcement, was notified of the incident on January 12. On January 15, she submitted a formal complaint detailing the abuse she faced.

However, reports suggest that the SIS delayed opening a formal investigation until January 17 or 18, only after pressure from a local human rights group. Her legal team believes the SIS backdated its records to January 13 to cover up the delay.

She is not the only one who reported abuse. At least three other protesters arrested in Batumi that day have also described beatings and ill-treatment by police while in detention. To date, the SIS has not recognized her, or any of the other complainants, as victims or made any progress public.

Denied urgent medical care

She lives with keratoconus, a progressive eye disease that severely affects vision. Before being detained, she had already lost almost all sight in her left eye and had limited vision in her right.

A medical exam in February 2025 confirmed a sharp decline in her right eye, which now functions at only 10%, even with treatment. Her lawyers submitted medical documents and requested she be transferred to a specialist eye clinic. Despite this, the prison authorities have not provided the urgent care she needs, putting her at serious risk of permanent blindness.

Ongoing abuse in custody

At her most recent hearing on July 14, 2025, attended by many supporters and diplomats from several EU countries, she testified about the abuse she continues to suffer in detention. She said the Batumi Police Chief repeatedly entered her holding cell, shouted insults, spat on her, and ordered guards to withhold water and access to the toilet.

A case of political and gender-based targeting

Her arrest, the abuse she has endured, and the unfair legal process raise serious concerns about the real motivation behind her prosecution. While she faces harsh treatment, the police officers involved appear to enjoy impunity.

Her case reflects a wider pattern in Georgia: the criminal justice system is used to punish peaceful dissent, especially when the protesters are women. The degrading treatment by senior police officers seems intended to humiliate and silence her as a woman and a public figure. This is not an isolated incident. Women who speak out or protest in Georgia often face hostility, abuse, and gender-based reprisals from those in power.

Please take action as soon as possible until October 2025. The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.