Two members of the student movement at Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Anni Fridonashvili and Taso Dolidze, have been called to court in connection with a protest conducted on a sidewalk. The individuals are accused of obstructing a sidewalk on 17 and 18 December 2025.
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.”
To date, judicial decisions have been issued in fourteen cases related to sidewalk protests. Of those, seven individuals were subjected to administrative detention ranging from four to five days, while seven others – predominantly women – received verbal warnings.
