Clooney Foundation: Mzia Amaglobeli’s trial fell short of fair trial standards

“The trial of Mzia Amaglobeli failed to meet international standards of a fair hearing, raising concerns about the state of human rights, freedom of expression and media independence in Georgia,” the Clooney Foundation for Justice said in its assessment of the case against the Georgian journalist.

On 16 January, the foundation published its final TrialWatch report on the case.

TrialWatch is an international initiative that monitors court cases around the world to identify violations of the right to a fair trial, particularly in cases involving politically motivated prosecutions. The project was launched in 2019 by the Clooney Foundation for Justice. It was founded by human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and actor George Clooney. Since its creation, TrialWatch has monitored court proceedings in more than 40 countries and is currently tracking cases involving nearly 60 journalists in 10 countries.

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On 12 January, one year marked since the arrest of Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of the news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. She was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping the head of Batumi’s police during a protest.

Mzia Amaglobeli has since become a symbol of Georgia’s pro-European movement and has received a number of international awards, including the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament.

All the details of the case against Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli

The hearing lasted nine hours. The lawyer called the trial historic and spoke of falsifications in the case. The verdict in Mzia Amaglobeli’s case is expected on August 4

In a press release accompanying the Clooney Foundation’s report, the prosecution of Mzia Amaglobeli is described as particularly concerning, as it is taking place amid broader restrictions on media freedom and judicial independence by the pro-Russian ruling party, Georgian Dream.

“The criminal proceedings against Mzia Amaglobeli revealed numerous violations of international human rights standards, which seriously undermined the fairness of her detention and trial, as well as her conviction under an article that was never formally brought against her,” said British lawyer Nicolas Bratza, a former president of the European Court of Human Rights. He assessed the trial as an expert for TrialWatch.

In its final report, the Clooney Foundation for Justice points to a miscarriage of justice in the journalist’s case and sets out in detail the shortcomings of the proceedings. The report highlights violations of defence rights, noting in particular that the defendant was not allowed to communicate freely with her lawyers during the trial. In addition, the court denied the defence access to key evidence and witnesses.

“I could spend years in prison because the regime wants it” – Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli’s trial nears its end

While testifying, the journalist spoke about the mistreatment she faced during and after her arrest

Mzia Amaglobeli was initially charged with assaulting a police officer, an offence punishable by four to seven years in prison. However, on the day the verdict was delivered, the judge reclassified the charge as resisting a police officer.

The report by the Clooney Foundation for Justice stresses that this sudden reclassification deprived Amaglobeli of a genuine opportunity to defend herself against the new charge on which she was ultimately convicted.

Georgian journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli sentenced to two years in prison

The founder of Batumelebi and Netgazeti had previously faced four to seven years in prison.

The report also raises concerns about the fairness of the sentence. According to the foundation, the court’s verdict lacks proper justification for both the conviction and the prison term imposed. It describes the custodial sentence as disproportionate, arguing that there were sufficient grounds to impose a fine or place the defendant under house arrest instead.

The foundation says this points to an abuse of the judicial process and an intention to punish the journalist in order to intimidate others who hold dissenting views.

The report also refers to a violation of the presumption of innocence, citing statements by senior officials who publicly described Mzia Amaglobeli as guilty long before a verdict was delivered.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice considers the case to be politically motivated, saying this is further evidenced by Georgia’s broader political climate and the state of its democracy.

The foundation calls on the Georgian authorities to overturn Mzia Amaglobeli’s conviction, secure her immediate release, and ensure that courts operate free from political influence.

Clooney Foundation on Amaglobeli trial