Forum 2000 to open in Prague with award for jailed Georgian journalist

The 29th annual Forum 2000 conference opens in Prague on Sunday with the presentation of the Courage and Responsibility Award to imprisoned Georgian journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. The three-day event will bring together over 700 participants from more than 100 countries. Czech President Petr Pavel and former Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili are among the speakers at Monday’s opening panel.

Founded in 2021, the Forum 2000 award honours exceptional civic courage in defending democracy and human rights. Amaglobeli, co-founder of independent outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was arrested in January during peaceful protests in Batumi and later sentenced to two years in prison. She has long stood against authoritarianism, censorship, and political pressure, and was also a finalist for this year’s Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.