Georgia’s Supreme Court rejects jailed journalist Mzia Amaglobeli’s appeal

New York, March 4, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists renews its call for Georgian authorities to release journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, after the country’s Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to consider an appeal of her two-year prison sentence.

“The Supreme Court’s refusal to even admit Mzia Amaglobeli’s appeal for consideration is yet another blow — not just for her, but for all independent journalists in Georgia,” said Fiona O’Brien, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia regional director. “This case has never been about due process, and once again we see this award-winning journalist being used as an example to intimidate what remains of Georgia’s free press. We will continue to push for justice for Amaglobeli and call on Georgia’s international partners to redouble their efforts to push for her early release.”

Amaglobeli’s lawyer, Maya Mtsariashvili, told CPJ that the Supreme Court had failed to address defense arguments on the admissibility of her appeal, instead maintaining that lower court rulings were justified and that Amaglobeli’s rights had not been violated. This stands in stark contrast with the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s recent TrialWatch assessment of the trial, which highlighted “numerous” violations of her right to a fair trial. 

Irma Dimitradze, communications manager for Amaglobeli’s outlet, Batumelebi, told CPJ that the exhaustion of Amaglobeli’s hopes for domestic redress mean that she will now appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. The outlet had not been expecting justice in Georgia, she said, due to the political nature of Amaglobeli’s detention.

Amaglobeli was arrested on the night of January 11-12, 2025, after she slapped a police chief in an altercation during a protest. In August, she was sentenced to two years in prison. Amid an extensive press freedom crackdown in Georgia, authorities’ decision to prosecute Amaglobeli initially on the major criminal charge of attacking a police officer and then imprisoning her have been widely denounced as politically motivated. 

In December, the European Parliament awarded her its Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

Amaglobeli’s eyesight has deteriorated drastically in detention, with one eye at 10 percent vision and the other capable only of light perception.