The trial of Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti media outlets, is currently underway at Batumi City Court.

Representatives from the Diplomatic Corps are present, including German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer, Swedish Ambassador Anna Lieberg, and Estonian Ambassador Marge Mardisalu-Kahari. The trial is also being attended by the Austrian Member of the European Parliament Lena Schilling.

The proceedings commenced with a motion by the defence. The lawyers requested the inclusion of evidence related to conclusions published by the Public Defender’s Office. Judge Nino Ismashvili approved the defence motion but deemed it unnecessary to review the video evidence attached to Mzia Amaglobeli’s administrative case.

The defence argued that these videos were recorded after Amaglobeli’s release from administrative detention. Therefore, their relevance to the case is arguable. The judge noted that the decision regarding the case has been appealed, and thus, it would be inappropriate to consider such evidence in the criminal proceedings.

Today, medical expert Givi Chkhartishvili was questioned. He conducted examinations of both Irakli Dgebuadze and Mzia Amaglobeli following the incident. The expert confirmed that Dgebuadze had no injuries, while Amaglobeli sustained bruises on her left shoulder. Regarding the pain experienced after the slap, Chkhartishvili explained that pain is a subjective sensation and cannot be objectively measured through medical examination.

The trial is taking place against a backdrop of protests, with resonating chants of “Freedom for Mzia Amaglobeli.”