On 25 March, by a decision of the Tbilisi City Court, Lasha Katsia, an active participant in ongoing protests, was subjected to 4 days of administrative detention. The decision was issued by Judge Tornike Kapanadze. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he allegedly blocked a roadway on Rustaveli Avenue on 7 February.
Lasha Katsia is the brother of Nika Katsia, who was held in pre-trial detention from 7 December 2024 until 3 September 2025, when the court found him not guilty and ordered his release in the courtroom. Nika Katsia stated that his detention was related to his participation in protest activities.
On 16 October 2025, Georgian Dream adopted legislative amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia and the Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia, which significantly restrict the forms through which demonstrators may express peaceful protest. Under these amendments, Article 174¹ of the Code of Administrative Offences was supplemented with paragraph 10, providing that participants in assemblies and demonstrations shall be subject to mandatory administrative detention for certain acts. These include, inter alia, covering one’s face with a mask or other means, possessing tear gas or similar substances, intentionally creating obstacles to pedestrian or vehicular movement, installing temporary structures, or partially or fully blocking a roadway.
A violation of this provision is punishable by administrative detention for up to 15 days, or up to 20 days in the case of an organizer. The amendments also introduced changes to the Criminal Code of Georgia, providing that the repeated commission of the above-mentioned acts within a one-year period may result in criminal liability.
