The Batumi City Court will resume the final hearing in the criminal case against Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti independent media outlets, on August 4.

Today’s hearing of closing remarks from Amaghlobeli’s defence team continued for more than 9 hours, though Judge Nino Sakhelashvili decided to postpone the final verdict’s announcement.

Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps and former president Salome Zourabichvili attended the court hearing.

Civic activists, media representatives, parents of those detained during Rustaveli mass protests and Mzia Amaghlobeli’s other supporters rallied outside the courthouse in solidarity with the journalist, demanding that the charges against her be dropped and calling for her immediate release.

Mzia Amaghlobeli was initially detained on January 11 during a protest outside the Batumi police headquarters on administrative charges and later released. She was subsequently re-arrested under Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to assaulting a police officer – an offence punishable by 4 to 7 years in prison.