On 16 March, Giorgi Gotsiridze, a lawyer of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and a human rights defender, was found liable for an administrative offence by Judge Davit Makaradze for standing on a sidewalk in the course of a protest. The court issued a verbal warning.

According to GYLA, the imposition of legal liability for engaging in peaceful protest expressed through standing on a sidewalk reflects a reality that is entirely detached from human rights law. The organization assesses that the adoption of such regulation, as well as its enforcement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is inconsistent with both national and international legal standards and constitutes an instrument of law-making and law enforcement grounded in repression and control.

Administrative proceedings against citizens in relation to sidewalk protests commenced following legislative amendments adopted by Georgian Dream on 12 December 2025.  The amendments were adopted following accelerated parliamentary consideration over a three-day period. As a result of these amendments, protest activity on sidewalks was, in effect, also prohibited. For a first violation, the legislation provides for administrative detention for a period of up to 15 days (up to 20 days in the case of an organizer), while a repeated violation may result in the imposition of criminal liability. According to the assessment of Transparency International Georgia, “the detention of an individual for standing on a sidewalk, even under administrative procedure, let alone the imposition of criminal punishment cannot withstand any criticism when assessed against the standards of freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and by international human rights instruments.”