A court hearing is underway at Batumi City Court in the criminal case against Mzia Amaghlobeli, with the main defendant and designated victim, Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze, giving testimony.

Supporters of Mzia Amaghlobeli were chanting “Freedom for Mzia Amaghlobeli” both inside and outside the courthouse. One person left the courtroom noisily in protest. The judge ordered the removal of Formula TV’s camera crew from the courtroom, claiming they were broadcasting the proceedings live, which is prohibited by law. The journalist maintained that the broadcast was being aired with a legally required delay of several minutes.

In his testimony, Irakli Dgebuadze spoke at length about protest rallies in Batumi. He claimed that police had maintained friendly relations with protesters until the night of 11-12 March, when the situation “changed radically” after they detained a young woman for placing a sticker on a police officer.

According to Dgebuadze, protesters who moved to the police station became “particularly aggressive.” He alleged that two detained individuals were intoxicated and were insulting police officers. Dgebuadze stated that it was regarding these detainees that Amaghlobeli confronted him, asking why “her family members” had been detained, which he claims led to aggression and a slap. Mzia Amaghlobeli herself was present during the court proceedings.