The Revenue Service has imposed a lien on the accounts of “Batumelebi.” This information was disseminated by “Batumelebi.”

According to them, the official reason is a financial debt amounting to 47,000 GEL.

Furthermore, “Batumelebi” believes this is an attempt to pressure Mzia Amaghlobeli into submission.

“On July 1, the Revenue Service contacted ‘Batumelebi’ and informed us that we have a debt that must be paid within five days. Otherwise, a lien would be placed on our accounts, followed by the seizure of property and the start of enforcement proceedings. This means the National Bureau of Enforcement would sell ‘Batumelebi’s’ property, referring to the editorial office’s technical equipment and office.

At this stage, ‘Batumelebi’s’ debt to the state budget—the principal amount—is 47,000 GEL [at the beginning of the month, it was 136,000 GEL, which we paid]. Additionally, we are charged other amounts—a penalty of 126,000 GEL and a fine of 109,000 GEL. ‘Batumelebi’ had acknowledged its debt to the state and was making monthly payments to cover it. After the threat of a lien, ‘Batumelebi’ officially appealed to the Revenue Service, requesting a payment schedule for the debt, as provided for by the Tax Code. They refused. On July 17, a lien was placed on ‘Batumelebi’s’ accounts.

Today is July 21, and the penultimate hearing in Mzia Amaghlobeli’s case is taking place in court. Accordingly, the lien and all other operations planned in the past week are aimed at breaking Mzia Amaghlobeli and, in the long term, destroying the media organization she created.

A simple confirmation of this is one example: according to the Revenue Service’s official information dated May 21, 2025, the television company ‘Imedi’ has a debt of 17 million GEL to the state budget, while ‘Rustavi 2’ owes 25 million GEL to the budget. The declared goal of the Ministry of Finance should never be to stifle or shut down the media. By law, its goal should be to support the development of any business to generate revenue through taxes and contribute to the state’s development. This is especially true given that freedom of speech is one of the core values of a democratic state, and its suppression is tantamount to the destruction of the state itself,” the statement released by “Batumelebi” reads.