On 31 July, civil activist Tornike Toshkhua was detained near the Tbilisi City Assembly building. He was holding a sheet of paper reading: “Is Bidzina not a d***/is he?”

According to circulated video footage, during the detention Toshkhua asked police officers to explain the grounds for his detention. In the footage, police can be heard citing “hooliganism” as the basis for the detention. Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed to Radio Liberty that Tornike Toshkhua had been detained under administrative procedure for an “insulting banner,” on the basis of Article 166 of the Code of Administrative Offences – petty hooliganism.

Tornike Toshkhua had also been detained by police on 26 July near the Tbilisi City Assembly building, also over an “insulting banner.” At that time, he was holding a sheet of paper reading: “Is Bidzina a d***? Yes or No.” Following his detention, nine more citizens were detained near the City Assembly in solidarity. In the cases of those detained on 26 July, the court imposed administrative detention on some of them and administrative fines on others. Toshkhua himself was fined GEL 3,000 by Judge Zviad Tsekvava.

Toshkhua had previously also been detained under criminal procedure and left prison several weeks ago.

On 2 August, Judge Tornike Kapanadze imposed 5 days of administrative detention on Tornike Toshkhua.