Zurab Tsetskhladze, the father of prisoner of conscience Zviad Tsetskhladze, states that in the case concerning standing on a sidewalk during a protest, Judge Nino Enukidze terminated the administrative proceedings and referred the case to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA), indicating that the matter may contain elements of a criminal offence.
The continuation of the case under criminal law is linked to legislative amendments introduced by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, to the Code of Administrative Offences. Under these amendments, the repeated obstruction of pedestrian or vehicular movement during an assembly or demonstration may give rise to criminal liability.
According to Tsetskhladze, the police drew up the administrative offence report on 9 February 2026. The report was issued under Article 174¹(10) of the Code of Administrative Offences. This provision covers several types of administrative offences, including covering one’s face with a mask or other means; creating obstacles to the movement of pedestrians or vehicles; and artificially blocking the roadway used by vehicles or pedestrians. Under Article 347 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, the repeated commission of any of the acts defined in the aforementioned provisions by a person who has already been sanctioned under those articles is punishable by imprisonment for up to one year.
