Judge Manuchar Tsatsua of the Tbilisi City Court imposed an administrative fine of GEL 4,000 on civil activist Nata Peradze in connection with a social media post concerning Georgian Dream Member of Parliament Nino Tsilosani. The administrative proceedings were initiated following a complaint filed by MP Tsilosani regarding a Facebook status published by Peradze. Peradze was found liable under Article 173(16) of the Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia, which establishes liability for the verbal insult of a state-political office-holder or public official, including the use of abusive language, offensive harassment, and/or other insulting actions. The provision provides for sanctions ranging from a fine of GEL 1,500 to GEL 4,000 or administrative detention for up to 45 days.

This is not an isolated case, as courts have previously imposed sanctions on individuals in connection with social media posts. On 27 January, Judge Pati Purtkhvanidze of the Zugdidi District Court similarly found Tako Gvilia, a participant in pro-European protest rallies, liable for an administrative offence and imposed a fine of GEL 4,000 in connection with a Facebook post concerning a police officer.

The practice of initiating court proceedings against citizens on the basis of posts published on social media commenced after the “Georgian Dream” party adopted, in June 2025 and under an expedited legislative procedure, amendments to the Law of Georgia on Freedom of Speech and Expression. The amendments primarily concerned the regulation of defamation. In particular, the statutory definition of defamation was revised by removing the element of harm, which had previously constituted an essential prerequisite for qualifying a statement as defamatory. Shortly after the amendments entered into force, six journalists were subjected to administrative fines for opinions expressed on social media. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association assessed these amendments as constituting an “unjustified restriction on freedom of expression, creating a chilling effect and aimed at instilling fear within society in order to deter individuals from critically evaluating the actions of the ‘Georgian Dream’ party and its political representatives.”