Judge Davit Makaradze of the Tbilisi City Court found civil activist and professor at Georgian Technical University, Temur Berianidze, liable for an administrative offence related to a protest on the sidewalk and imposed a fine of 5,000 GEL. Berianidze is a veteran of the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) and holds the status of a person with a disability. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia alleged that on 17 December 2025 Berianidze created an obstruction to pedestrian movement on the sidewalk near the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi.Administrative proceedings against citizens in relation to sidewalk protests commenced following legislative amendments adopted by Georgian Dream on 12 December 2025.  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.” In the so-called “sidewalk cases,” court proceedings have already concluded in relation to more than 20 activists. Some of them were subjected to administrative detention, while others (predominantly women) received verbal warnings. Administrative proceedings have also been initiated against a number of other activists, while court hearings in their cases have not yet been scheduled.