Levan Khmiadashvili, an energy specialist and civil activist, was found liable for an administrative offence on the grounds of allegedly blocking a roadway during protest marches; however, Judge Manuchar Tsatsua limited the sanction to a verbal warning. Khmiadashvili was accused of blocking a roadway during protest marches held on 31 January and 7 February. According to his lawyer, despite the court limiting the sanction to a verbal warning, the finding of liability itself remains unsubstantiated.
Khmiadashvili stated that he had expected administrative detention, noting that such a sanction is typically imposed in similar cases. He further stated that protest marches and brief gatherings in front of Parliament should not result in repeated court proceedings or be used as a mechanism of pressure against citizens.
On 16 October 2025, Georgian Dream adopted legislative amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia and the Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia, which significantly restrict the forms through which demonstrators may express peaceful protest. Under these amendments, Article 174¹ of the Code of Administrative Offences was supplemented with paragraph 10, providing that participants in assemblies and demonstrations shall be subject to mandatory administrative detention for certain acts. These include, inter alia, covering one’s face with a mask or other means, possessing tear gas or similar substances, intentionally creating obstacles to pedestrian or vehicular movement, installing temporary structures, or partially or fully blocking a roadway.
A violation of this provision is punishable by administrative detention for up to 15 days, or up to 20 days in the case of an organizer. The amendments also introduced changes to the Criminal Code of Georgia, providing that the repeated commission of the above-mentioned acts within a one-year period may result in criminal liability.
