Human rights defenders point to political motives for founder of Georgian opposition media Amaglobeli’s arrest

The “Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association” (GYLA) non-governmental organization (NGO) has called the arrest of Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Netgazeti” and “Batumelebi” online publications, politically motivated.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on January 12, ten people were detained in Batumi, including Guram Murvanidze, a cameraman of the “Batumelebi” publication, and Mziya Amaglobeli, the founder of the “Netgazeti” and “Batumelebi” online publications. Mziya Amaglobeli was arrested under a criminal article on the attack on a police officer.

Giorgy Volsky, the first vice-speaker of the Georgian parliament from the ruling “Georgian Dream-Democratic Movement” Party, called the law enforcers’ actions with respect to the founder of the “Netgazeti” and “Batumelebi” online publications a part of a planned campaign to “destabilize the situation in the country.”

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to Georgia Sheraz Gasri has pointed out the need to protect journalists on social networking services.

The “Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association” (GYLA) non-governmental organization (NGO) believes that the court made an unjustified decision to take Mziya Amaglobeli into custody.

“The system punishes Mziya Amaglobeli for her activities out of political motives and not because she broke the law,” the GYLA states.