On 14 January 2026, civic activist Nutsa Mkharadze was detained during a solidarity protest in support of the Iranian people held outside the Iranian Embassy in Tbilisi. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses Nutsa Mkharadze of disobedience to a lawful order of the police and verbal insult.

According to Radio Tavisupleba prior to Nutsa Mkharadze’s detention, demonstrators expressed their protest by crossing from one side of the road to the other at the traffic light located near the Iranian Embassy when the green signal was illuminated. Subsequently, as the police explained, the “traffic light malfunctioned,” and Mkharadze began crossing the roadway precisely at that moment.

A court hearing in Nutsa Mkharadze’s case was held on 16 January, during the hearing, her health condition deteriorated. Nutsa Mkharadze alleges ill-treatment while held in a temporary detention isolator, stating: “I lost consciousness twice and experienced convulsions. I am experiencing panic attacks due to my emotional condition, although I had not experienced such symptoms previously. I was held in the isolator for two days without being permitted to wash and was unlawfully detained, which likely affected my condition.” The next court hearing is scheduled for 27 January.

Pursuant to the amendments introduced to the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia, disobedience to a lawful order of a police officer (Article 173, Part 1) is punishable by a fine in the amount of GEL 2,000 to GEL 5,000 or administrative detention for a period of up to 60 days. Verbal insult of a law enforcement officer, including the use of abusive language (Article 173, Part 2), is punishable by a fine in the amount of GEL 2,000 to GEL 5,000 or administrative detention for a period of up to 60 days.