Mzia Amaglobeli was imprisoned for absolutely no reason, without any legal basis, simply because she represents free media, simply because she has been defending civil liberties, minority rights, and the right to express a different opinion for over 30 years, – the fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, said in a video address to participants of a conference taking place at the European Parliament in Brussels.
According to Salome Zurabishvili, if there is anything that is most at risk today, it is freedom of the press, because freedom of the media is directly under attack.
“I would like to thank you all, both the MEPs who organized this conference, and the participants in this truly special meeting, which I am happy to join, even remotely.
I really wanted to be physically present at your gathering, but unfortunately, this turned out to be impossible. Today I would like to share with you my thoughts on Mzia Amaglobeli – a woman who has become a symbol of the struggle that is currently taking place in Georgia against dictatorship, Russian influence and hybrid warfare.
Mzia has become a symbol of this struggle because she is one of those who ended up in prison for absolutely no reason, without any legal basis, simply because she represents free media, simply because she has been defending civil liberties, minority rights and the right to express a different opinion for more than 30 years. In her region of Adjara, at the beginning of Georgia’s independence, when there was a regime in the country that restricted free speech, Mzia was always on the front lines of defending democracy.
And after the Prime Minister made the decision to deviate from our European course, to violate the Constitution of Georgia, which obliges all institutions to work for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, and this stage of our struggle began, it is quite natural that this little woman, Mzia, became the flag of the peaceful protest movement.
I myself attended her last trial, which lasted 11 hours, and during all these 11 hours Mzia stood on her feet, because sitting on the bench of the guilty was unacceptable to her. I will never forget this!
She was and is innocent! Despite the false scenarios created by the authorities about alleged pseudo-revolutions, Mzia is part of the peaceful protest of Georgia. Mzia is a face of the peaceful struggle that is taking place in the country for the freedom of the Georgian people, for a return to the European path, for the protection of civil liberties and freedom of the press.
And if there is anything that is most at risk today, it is freedom of the press. Freedom of the media is directly under attack are: first of all, regional media outlets, which are the easiest targets of attack because they are the smallest and most resource-poor, then the main opposition, or more precisely, independent channels, which have become targets of censorship and attempts by the authorities to restrict freedom of expression.
We all know very well that today, more than ever, we depend on free information to continue our fight to return Georgia to the European path, to defend Georgia’s independence and against Russian influence and the hybrid war that has been going on for 316 days in the form of peaceful protests that began more than two years ago and will continue until Georgia returns to a free media, freedom and independence — on its European path,” Salome Zurabishvili said at the conference “Freedom Beyond Prison Walls: Solidarity with Mzia Amaglobeli and Support for the Struggle for Georgian Democracy” in the European Parliament.
Salome Zurabishvili: Despite the government’s false scenarios about pseudo-revolutions, Mzia Amaglobeli is part of the peaceful protest – if there is one thing that is most at risk today, it is the freedom of the press
