{{Short description|Georgian newspaper and magazine}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Batumelebi<br />{{lang|ka|გაზეთი "ბათუმელები"}} | logo = Gazeti-Batumelebi-logo.png | logo_size = | logo_caption = | motto = | type = Limited liability company<ref name="bia.ge">{{cite web |language=en |title=Newspaper Batumelebi | website=bia.ge |url=https://www.bia.ge/EN/Company/14976 | access-date =2025-02-03}}</ref> | founders = Mzia Amaglobeli, Eter Turadze | general_manager = Mzia Amaglobeli | chief_editor = Eter Turadze<ref name="NPLG">{{cite web |language=ka |title=გაზეთი ბათუმელები | website=National Parliamentary Library of Georgia |url=http://www.nplg.gov.ge/paperge/ka/browse/003973/ | access-date =2025-02-03}}</ref> | editor = | deputy_editor = | associate_editor = | managing_editor = | news_editor = | founded = {{Start date and age|2001}}<ref name="NPLG_old">{{cite web |language=ka |title=ბათუმელები | website=National Parliamentary Library of Georgia |url=http://www.nplg.gov.ge/paperge/ka/browse/003369/ | access-date =2025-02-03}}</ref> | language = Georgian<ref name="NPLG"></ref> | headquarters = | publishing_city = Batumi, Adjara | publishing_country = {{Flag|Georgia}} | sister_newspapers = Netgazeti<ref name="bia.ge"></ref> | website = {{URL|https://batumelebi.ge|batumelebi.ge}} | issn = 2449-2949 }}
'''Batumelebi'''{{efn|officially named '''Gazeti Batumelebi''' LLC}} ({{lang-ka|გაზეთი ბათუმელები|tr}}, lit. 'Batumians') is an independent Georgian newspaper and an online media outlet based in Batumi, Georgia. It covers local and national news, politics, human rights, social issues, and investigative journalism.<ref name="madloba.info">{{cite web |language=en |title=News website "Gazeti Batumelebi" | website=madloba.info |url=https://madloba.info/en/batumi/smi-televidenie-radio-gazety-zhurnaly/gazeti-batumelebi/ | access-date =2025-02-03}}</ref> The publication is known for its critical reporting and in-depth analysis of government policies and regional developments. It is part of the "Regional Media Network," which includes other independent media in Georgia.
The newspaper covers news from Adjara, Georgia, and the Caucasus region. It also draws attention to and focuses on human rights issues, facilitating public debates, and topics related to vulnerable and marginalized groups in society.<ref name="madloba.info"></ref>
==Creation== Founded in 2001<ref name="about">{{cite web |language=en |title=batumelebi.ge | website=batumelebi.netgazeti.ge |url=https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/about/ | access-date =2025-02-03}}</ref> in Batumi by journalists Mzia Amaghlobeli and {{ill|Eter Turadze|ka|ეთერ თურაძე}}, it began as a non-periodical printed newspaper, aiming to address issues such as human rights abuses and corruption prevalent during the rule of Adjara's 1991-2004 autocratic leader, Aslan Abashidze. In 2003, under pressure from the authoritarian regime in Adjara, the Batumi City Court revoked the company's legal registration, after which the authorities consistently refused to allow the newspaper to re-register the company under a new name. With the support of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Batumelebi successfully registered a new organization in Tbilisi, and on 8 August 2003, it was officially renamed to LLC "Gazeti Batumelebi".<ref name="NPLG_old"></ref><ref name="NPLG"></ref>
==Independence== In 2024, BBC News described Batumelebi as having "a strong reputation for editorial independence".<ref name="BBC_GE_media_guide" />
==Spinoff== In 2010 Batumelebi expanded its reach by launching the online news platform Netgazeti in 2010,<ref name="BBC_GE_media_guide">{{cite Q|Q137583682}}</ref> catering to a national audience.
==Repression== During its existence, Newspaper Batumelebi has faced discrimination, political pressure, intimidation, and harassment from government-affiliated individuals and groups, both during the rule of the United National Movement and the Georgian Dream.<ref name="RFERL 2009">{{cite web |language=ka |title=გაზეთ "ბათუმელების" მიმართვას უკვე მოჰყვა რეაქცია | website=radiotavisupleba.ge Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Georgia |date=2009-12-05 | url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/1895414.html | access-date = 2025-02-04}}</ref><ref name="csf. ge 2020">{{cite web |language=ka |title=მედიაკოალიცია "გაზეთი ბათუმელების" და "ნეტგაზეთის" დისკრედიტაციის მცდელობებს ეხმიანება | website=csf.ge |date=2020-06-09 | url=https://csf.ge/mediakoalicia-gazeti-batumelebis-da-netgazetis-diskreditaciis-mcdelobebs-ekhmianeba/ | access-date =2025-02-04}}</ref><ref name="Netgazeti 2025">{{cite web |language=ka |title="ბათუმელებისა" და ნეტგაზეთის განცხადება | website=Netgazeti.ge |date=2025-01-13 | url=https://netgazeti.ge/life/759634/ | access-date =2025-02-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250129024527/https://netgazeti.ge/life/759634/|archive-date= 2025-01-29 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Netgazeti 2024">{{cite web |language=ka |title=ბათუმელების რედაქტორი შალვა პაპუაშვილს: ვერ მოგვაწებებთ აგენტის იარლიყს | website=Netgazeti.ge |date=2024-04-25 | url=https://netgazeti.ge/news/719728/ | access-date =2025-02-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510091117/https://netgazeti.ge/news/719728/|archive-date= 2024-05-10 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In January 2025, one of the founders and a director of Batumelebi, Mzia Amaghlobeli, was detained on charges of "assaulting" a police officer during a protest in Batumi. This arrest has been widely perceived as part of a broader crackdown on independent media in Georgia. In response, embassies of 14 member countries of the Media Freedom Coalition issued a joint statement demanding her immediate release, expressing concern over the intimidation of journalists in Georgia.<ref name="oc-media">{{cite web |language=en |title=Coalition of 14 embassies demand Amaghlobeli's immediate release |website=oc-media.org |date =2025-01-31 | url=https://oc-media.org/coalition-of-14-embassies-demand-amaghlobelis-immediate-release/ | access-date = 2025-02-03}}</ref><ref name="Tavisupleba 2025">{{cite web |language=ka |title=ბათუმში დააკავეს საპროტესტო აქციის ათამდე მონაწილე, მათ შორის "გაზეთ ბათუმელების" დირექტორი |website=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Georgia |date =2025-01-11 | url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33272422.html | access-date = 2025-02-04}}</ref> {{As of|2025|02|04}}, Amaglobeli has been on a hunger strike since her arrest. According to her, this is a protest against injustice.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web|url=https://civil.ge/archives/656063|title=GYLA: Amaghlobeli's Life in Danger, Urgent Action Needed|website=Civil Georgia}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |date=23 January 2025 |title=ადვოკატის თქმით, მზია ამაღლობელი შიმშილობის შეწყვეტას არ აპირებს |trans-title=Lawyer says Mzia Amaglobeli has no intention of ending hunger strike |url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/%E1%83%9B%E1%83%96%E1%83%98%E1%83%90-%E1%83%90%E1%83%9B%E1%83%90%E1%83%A6%E1%83%9A%E1%83%9D%E1%83%91%E1%83%94%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98%E1%83%A1-%E1%83%92%E1%83%96%E1%83%90%E1%83%95%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98%E1%83%9A%E1%83%98/33286271.html |website=რადიო თავისუფლება}}</ref> According to the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, Mzia Amaghlobeli's life is in danger {{as of|2025|01|27|lc=yes}}.<ref name="Radio Tavisupleba">{{Cite web |date=27 January 2025 |title=მზია ამაღლობელის სიცოცხლეს საფრთხე ემუქრება – საია |trans-title=Mzia Amaglobeli's life is in danger – GYLA |url=https://www.radiotavisupleba.ge/a/33290080.html |website=რადიო თავისუფლება}}</ref>
==Awards== Batumelebi won numerous awards for courageous journalism and ethical reporting. In 2009, Batumelebi received the European Press Prize. This award is given to those publications that, according to the German Zeit-Stiftung and the Norwegian Foundation for Freedom of Expression, "are not afraid of censorship and repression."<ref name="European Press Prize 2009">{{cite web |language=en |title=Pressure on Georgian 'Batumelebi' newspaper | website=Human Rights House |date =2009-12-02 | url=https://humanrightshouse.org/letters/pressure-on-georgian-batumelebi-newspaper/ | access-date = 2025-02-03}}</ref><ref name="European Press Prize 2015">{{cite web |language=ka |title=ნეტგაზეთი 2015 წლის პრესის ევროპული ჯილდოს მფლობელი გახდა | website=Batumelebi.ge |date =2015-03-09 | url=https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/9911/ | access-date = 2025-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818195140/https://batumelebi.netgazeti.ge/news/9911/ |archive-date= 2022-08-18 |url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== *''Netgazeti'' *Mzia Amaglobeli
==References== {{Reflist}}
=== Notes === {{notelist}} Category:Mass media in Tbilisi Category:Weekly magazines Category:Political magazines Category:Georgian-language websites Category:Mass media companies of Georgia (country) Category:Magazines established in 2001 Category:2001 establishments in Georgia (country)