“Today, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) submitted a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on behalf of Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti media outlets, who is being held in illegal detention,” GYLA Chairwoman Nona Kurdovanidze announced on social media.

“The complaint submitted to the European Court of Human Rights asserts that Mzia Amaglobeli’s fundamental rights, as outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights, have been violated, including:

– The right to freedom and security (Article 5);
– The right to a fair hearing (Article 6);
– The right to respect for private and family life (Article 8);
– Freedom of expression (Article 10);
– The right to an effective remedy as noted in Article 13, in conjunction with Articles 8 and 10;
– The scope of application of restrictions on rights (Article 18).

Since the review of certain violations is still ongoing, the complaint submitted today does not address these issues. Further proceedings regarding these matters in the Strasbourg Court will only take place after the conclusion of the case at the national level,” Kurdovanidze wrote.

According to official records, Amaglobeli was detained under Article 173 for allegedly insulting police officers. The incident occurred on January 11 when she was initially held for one hour on administrative charges near the Adjara Police Department. Following her release, she was detained again, this time on criminal charges, for allegedly slapping Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze. Mzia Amaglobeli maintained her innocence and protested by going on a hunger strike for 38 days.