The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) reiterates its demand for the immediate release of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli who has been on a hunger strike for 24 days following her unlawful arrest in Batumi, Georgia. The EFJ is also concerned about the intensification of repression in the country and the apparent capture of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) by the ruling Georgian Dream party in order to impose censorship on the ongoing protests and human rights violations.

Mzia Amaglobeli is on hunger strike since January 12, after being abused while held in detention. According to the Georgian Yung Lawyers Association, she has not received all necessary medical attention and is experiencing degrading treatment in captivity.

The EFJ supports the GPB journalists who denounced the poor coverage of Amaglobeli’s detention at a meeting of the public television board. The meeting came amid growing tensions over editorial independence and ongoing protests in front of GPB headquarters.

During the meeting, prominent journalist Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani criticized the political interference in editorial decisions of GPB board chairman Vasil Maglaperidze, who previously served as the Deputy Chair of the Georgian Dream party. He expressed solidarity with Mzia Amaghlobeli. “The public broadcaster merely mentioned her case in the news feed,” he said, emphasizing GPB’s obligation to foster public debate on the case. GPB TV anchor Nino Zautashvili also expressed solidarity with Amaghlobeli and all “prisoners of conscience”, adding that GPB should fully cover protests in the country.

In retaliation, on February 4, Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani was prevented from presenting his news program on GPB. “The EFJ considers this suspension as unacceptable censorship and political interference. We call on the European Broadcasting Union to intervene,” insisted EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “If the unjustly sanctioned journalist is not immediately reinstated, GPB must be excluded from the EBU”.

The EFJ calls on the international community to put maximum pressure on the Georgian authorities to stop repressing journalists and to release Mzia Amaglobeli and all other prisoners of conscience.