Georgia: Authorities seize bank accounts of Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti ahead of Mzia Amaghlobeli verdict
Seizure order is a new front in campaign of pressure on media outlets and their co-founder
21.07.2025
Georgian authorities’ decision to seize the bank accounts of independent media Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti ahead of the verdict in the criminal trial of their co-founder Mzia Amaghlobeli is another clear front in the government’s authoritarian campaign of pressure against them, IPI said today.
Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti are widely respected media outlets, often reporting on human rights violations and corruption, serving the public with impartial, trustworthy news since their founding 25 years ago.
The seizure dramatically ramps up pressure on these outlets ahead of the verdict in the criminal trial against Amaghlobeli, who has been unjustly held in pretrial detention since her arrest on January 12, during which time her health and eyesight has deteriorated.
The seizure order was made on 17 July citing an unpaid tax debt. According to Batumelebi, the outlet had acknowledged the debt and had been paying it back. Prior to the seizure order, the Revenue Service informed Batumelebi that it has outstanding tax debt that must be paid within five days. The organisation formally requested a structured repayment plan, which is permitted under the Georgian Tax Code.
However, the Revenue Service rejected this request without justification and proceeded to seize the accounts, warning that the National Bureau of Enforcement may also initiate property seizures, including the confiscation of technical equipment and its office.
In a statement on its website, Batumelebi condemned the action and said the real motive “appears to be an attempt to shut down the media organisation” and that it represented “direct pressure” on Amaghlobeli to make her give up ahead of the court verdict. It added that the order had been applied in a selective and discriminatory manner, pointing out that pro-government media which owe far greater sums have not received such repayment orders.
Amaglobeli has been charged under the criminal code with attacking a police officer – a charge widely viewed as excessive and politically motivated – which carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison.
Today, July 21, marks the penultimate court hearing in Amaglobeli’s case, after which a verdict is expected to be reached at a final court date, now slated for August 1.
The move by Georgia’s Revenue Service to place a seizure order on the online media’s bank accounts also came just days after IPI met Amaghlobeli’s colleagues from Gazeti Batumelebi and Netgazeti during a mission to Georgia by international press freedom groups to monitor a court hearing in Amaghlobeli’s case.
In its statement following the hearing, IPI said along with partners Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that the proceedings had illustrated the disproportionate and politicized nature of the charges against her. The group also expressed concerns over the dehumanizing and degrading treatment Amaglobeli endured during her arrest.
Amaglobeli’s arrest and detention are seen by many in the journalism community in Georgia as a deliberate attempt to intimidate and silence the independent press amidst a broader crackdown on civil society and dissent.
“We strongly condemn what is clearly a campaign by authorities against Batumelebi and Netgazeti – first with disproportionate criminal charges against their co-founder and now by seizing their bank accounts”, Amy Brouillette, IPI Director of Advocacy, said. “The IPI global network stands by Batumelebi and Netgazeti and Mzia Amaglobeli and calls on authorities to cease its campaign of harassment.”
The Media Development Investment Fund has launched a fundraiser to support Amaghlobeli’s fight for freedom. You can donate via the GoFundMe page here.
This statement was coordinated by IPI as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
