{"id":133008,"date":"2025-04-04T23:52:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T20:52:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/133008\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:40:57","slug":"georgia-appoints-officer-suspected-of-intimidating-journalist-as-attache-to-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/133008\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia appoints officer suspected of intimidating journalist as attach\u00e9 to Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (Batumelebi)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April 4, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Davit Atabegashvili, former deputy head of the internal affairs directorate in Georgia’s southwestern region of Adjara, has been appointed as police attach\u00e9 to Belarus, Batumelebi <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This information has been confirmed by the Georgian interior ministry’s press office, it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the website, Atabegashvili was “particularly aggressive” toward pro-European protesters in Batumi and said that “Europe prefers Russia.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He reportedly ordered the arrest of journalist Mzia Amaglobeli during a protest rally on January 11 and hold her handcuffed at a police department for two hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia sanctioned Atabegashvili for persecuting Amaglobeli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amaglobeli, co-founder of Georgia’s independent media outlets Netgazeti<\/em> and Batumelebi<\/em>, was arrested at a rally of protest against the ruling Georgian Dream rejecting integration with the European Union and embracing authoritarianism. She has been accused of attacking a police officer and may face up to seven years in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In protest, the journalist held a 38-day hunger strike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On February 23, the Belarusian Association of Journalists joined a demand for her release. The demand initiated by the International Press Institute has been signed by 90 human rights organizations, including journalistic ones, as well as 225 journalists, editors and publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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