Human rights activists demanded that Amaglobeli receive medical assistance.
Convicted journalist Mzia Amaglobeli is denied access to medical examinations and treatment to preserve her vision. The Young Lawyers' Association called on the Minister of Justice of Georgia and the Ombudsman to intervene.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on August 6, a Batumi court sentenced Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the publications "Batumelebi" and "Netgazeti," to two years in prison for slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. On November 18, the Kutaisi Court of Appeal upheld the verdict.
Amaglobeli's defense demanded that the Batumi City Court's verdict be overturned, that the journalist be declared not guilty, and that she be released. The lawyers also demanded that Mzia Amaglobeli be granted disability status due to her vision problems. The defense previously appealed to the Georgian Minister of Health and the management of the penitentiary where the journalist is being held, asking them to organize the necessary procedures. According to the lawyer, Amaglobeli's vision continues to deteriorate.
Mzia Amaglobeli is still deprived of the necessary examinations and treatment to preserve her vision, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) stated in an appeal to the head of the Ministry of Justice.
"Along with her imprisonment, Mzia Amaglobeli has been deprived of the right to undergo examinations in a clinic equipped with medical equipment appropriate to her diagnosis and to receive information about the procedures necessary to preserve her vision at a minimum level. We appeal to Georgian Justice Minister Paata Salia to immediately ensure high-tech examinations for both of Mzia Amaglobeli's eyes in a properly equipped medical facility and to plan treatment to preserve her vision based on the examination results," JAMnews quotes the human rights activists' appeal.
The Association also appealed to Georgian Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani. "With a request to immediately issue a written assessment of whether the state is respecting Mzia Amgalobeli's right to appropriate medical treatment, and, if necessary, to engage appropriate specialists to prepare an assessment within the scope of their authority," the appeal reads.
On the night of January 12, 10 people were detained in Batumi, including Mzia Amaglobeli. Amaglobeli was detained for posting a poster calling for a general strike on a wall. When Amaglobeli was released, she found herself in a stampede where an incident occurred involving the city's police chief, Irakli Dgebuadze. According to a silent video published by the pro-government television channel Imedi, Amaglobeli, surrounded and held by police officers and men in dark clothing, said something to Dgebuadze, who responded and turned away. Amaglobeli sharply rebuked him and slapped him. After this, she was surrounded by security forces on all sides, and the journalist was detained again, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "The Mzia Amaglobeli Case: Circumstances of the Arrest and the Campaign in Defense of the Journalist".
As a reminder, On March 18, Judge Salikh Shainidze fined Mzia Amaglobeli 2,000 lari (approximately $720) for insulting a police officer. On June 18, the Batumi Court found Mzia Amaglobeli guilty of an administrative offense and fined her 1,000 lari for a "Georgia on Strike" poster pasted on a police building. Amaglobeli was not present at the court hearing, and at the previous hearing, she called her second administrative case absurd.
In October, Mzia Amaglobeli received the Sakharov Prize "For Freedom of Thought," the European Union's highest award for human rights work.
Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/417497
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