Georgian Public Defender created a group of doctors on 6 February to assess the adequacy and timeliness of medical services provided to Mzia Amaglobeli by the Penitentiary Service (including the contractor clinic (s).

The group is made up of the candidates nominated by Mzia Amaglobeli’s representatives, in consultation with them and taking into account Mzia Amaglobeli’s health problems, with the following composition:

• Elene Giorgadze – endocrinology, nutrition, paediatric endocrinology, public health and healthcare organization
• Giorgi Gvilia – gastroenterology, cardiology, internal diseases
• Giorgi Javrishvili – ophthalmology
• Aleksandre Tsiskaridze – neurology

According to the Office of the Public Defender, the doctors will visit Mzia Amaglobeli shortly and study her medical documentation.

“The group of doctors will prepare a conclusion and recommendations, which they will present to the Public Defender. Based on the conclusion, the Public Defender and the Public Defender’s Office will take further legal steps. We will provide information to the public within the framework of the protection of special categories of personal data.

We would like to emphasize once again that the mandate of the Public Defender is not to participate in the treatment of prisoners and specialists invited by the Public Defender will not have this authority either,” reads the statement.

Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, has been on a hunger strike for 26 days at Rustavi Prison. The Batumi City Court ordered her imprisonment as a preventive measure on January 14, following her arrest on January 12 under Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to the assault of a police officer.