Paata (Tato) Alaverdashvili, a civil activist and psychotherapist, was subjected to 4 days of administrative detention by Judge Manuchar Tsatsua.

The case differs from the majority of recent administrative proceedings brought against participants in protest actions – Alaverdashvili was held liable for an administrative offence involving the alleged insult of a police officer. The case concerns an alleged gesture of showing a middle finger to a police officer. The court held several hearings before delivering its decision.

According to Alaverdashvili, on 8 March, during a protest in front of Parliament, he noticed an individual in civilian clothing filming demonstrators. He perceived the person as a provocateur, began recording himself, and called on the individual to lower the car window. According to his account, when the individual did not do so, he expressed dissatisfaction through a gesture. It later became known that the individual was a police officer.

Paata Alaverdashvili was detained late at night on 9 March while returning from a protest, and an administrative offence report was drawn up against him. According to Davit Chkheidze, while Alaverdashvili was travelling in a vehicle together with Chkheidze’s family, patrol police stopped the vehicle and conducted an alcohol test. In parallel, Alaverdashvili was removed from the vehicle and detained on the spot on the grounds of allegedly insulting a police officer, while Chkheidze himself was taken for narcological testing.