**EU Lawmakers Debate Media Freedom in Georgia**
On June 18, the European Parliament debated media freedom in Georgia, focusing on the case of Mzia Amaghlobeli, a detained journalist and founder of the news outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. The debate was sparked by concerns over press freedom and the government’s treatment of journalists.
** MEPs Call for Release of Detained Journalist**
MEPs from various European countries expressed their concern about Mzia Amaghlobeli’s imprisonment, calling for her release and an end to what they described as “politically motivated charges”. Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė said that Amaghlobeli has become a symbol of all Georgians imprisoned by the Bidzina Ivanishvili regime. She warned that the situation in Georgia is getting worse every day and called for serious sanctions against the regime.
German MEP Tobias Cremer said that the ruling Georgian Dream party fears the free press like a vampire fears the light, slamming the party’s treatment of journalists and calling for charges to be dropped. Polish MEP Małgorzata Gosiewska warned that in Georgia, the lights of democracy are going out, citing the brutal crackdown on protests and what she called the GD’s “open war with free media”.
**Need for EU-Level Measures**
MEPs also emphasized the need for EU-level measures against the Georgian Dream authorities. Lithuanian MEP Dainius Žalimas said that only a few member states have imposed sanctions, and the EU seems to be treating Georgia as a lost country, which he called a “big mistake”. He added that the Georgian civil society continues to fight, and we cannot abandon them if we really seek to support democracy.
Austrian MEP Lena Schilling said that Mzia Amaghlobeli’s arrest is clearly political and based on fabricated charges. She concluded that supporting Mzia means standing for a free, democratic, and European Georgia, and we need to step up here to support her and all the people in Georgia.
**Different Stance**
However, not all MEPs shared the same view. German MEP Petr Bystron of the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations group took a different stance, saying that while reporters should be supported, NGOs abroad that want regime change should not be supported. This was met with criticism from other MEPs.
**Condemnation and Call for Action**
The debates were concluded by Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research, and Innovation, who condemned Amaghlobeli’s imprisonment, saying it was “for her commitment to truth and justice”. She called for Amaghlobeli’s release and said that the shrinking space for free expression is unacceptable in a country aspiring to join the EU.
**The Case Continues**
Concurrently with the debates in Strasbourg, the Batumi City Court fined Mzia Amaghlobeli GEL 1,000 (about USD 370) over an incident where she placed a protest sticker on an outbuilding of the Batumi Police Department just hours before her second arrest.
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