Gamarjoba, Patriarchy – When Did Equality Become Georgia’s Number One Public Enemy?

In Georgia, the fight for equality is no longer only about women’s rights or social justice, but rather is a test of democracy itself. Gender has turned into a political battleground and a key element in the strategy to silence criticism and assert control under the guise of ‘traditional values’.

The gendered face of Georgia’s autocratisation

The arrest, pre-trial detention and subsequent sentencing of respected independent journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli is a prime example of the Georgian Dream (GD) government’s systematic erosion of democratic norms and weaponisation of the justice system to suppress dissent and those calling for equality and a European Union (EU) future.

Amaghlobeli was detained after slapping Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during a crackdown on peaceful protests in Batumi on 12 January 2025. According to Amnesty International, Mzia was verbally abused, spat on and denied urgent medical assistance during her pre-trial detention. Senior police officers have been accused of engaging in threatening and degrading behaviour, including the use of gender-based insults intended to cause humiliation.

Independent legal experts have argued that the legal procedure was unjust and that the charges brought against her and the two-year prison sentence handed down in August 2025 were disproportionate to the alleged offence. Under Article 353 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, the act in question, slapping a police officer, does not constitute assault according to independent legal analyses. Amaghlobeli’s case is still pending at the European Court of Human Rights.