Civil activist Tornike Razmadze faces a fine or administrative detention over a profanity-containing comment he wrote on Facebook about Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan. “The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia is accusing me of insulting and swearing at Russian propagandists Margarita Simonyan and Vladimir Solovyov,” the activist said in a video address on 10 September.
Proceedings against the activist were launched on the basis of a report drawn up by the “Division for Monitoring Hate Speech.” The case was initiated under Article 166 of the Code of Administrative Offences, which concerns “petty hooliganism” and is punishable by a fine of GEL 500 to GEL 3,000 or administrative detention of up to 20 days.
As it appears, the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ “Division for Monitoring Hate Speech” initiated proceedings over a comment written under a video uploaded by Tornike Razmadze himself on social media. The video compares statements made by Russian propagandist Margarita Simonyan and Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze regarding the Treaty of Georgievsk. In the comment, Razmadze uses obscene language toward the respondents in the video.
Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Shalva Papuashvili referred to 72 persons detained during the 2024–2025 protests and currently in custody as “prisoners of shamelessness.”
The Parliament Speaker published the statement on social media. He said that the detainees are victims of the politicians and organizers who pushed them toward radical actions, then failed to take responsibility for the situation that followed and abandoned them.
According to Papuashvili, the term that most accurately describes these people is “prisoners of shamelessness.”
On 2 September 2026, it became known that actor Beka Bedianashvili, who lives in Germany, was denied entry to Georgia. According to the actor, he was initially told that a GEL 1,000 fine was registered under his name. Later, he was told that the fine amounted to GEL 5,000. “If I did not pay, they would not let me in, but if I did pay, they probably still would not let me in. When I asked who would decide whether I would be allowed to enter after paying the fine, they told me that they would decide,” the actor told Radio Liberty.
The actor believes that the reason he was denied entry to the country was his “political activity”: “The basis is, in principle, quite simple – it is my political activity. Last year, I was a guest on the last remaining opposition television programme and said what I said,” Bedianashvili said in a video published on Facebook from Tbilisi Airport. The actor was referring to a critical interview he gave to TV Pirveli on 2 August 2025.
Actor Beka Bedianashvili, also known as Bediana, was born in Rustavi in 1990 and has lived in Germany with his family since 1996. He was travelling to Georgia to attend a relative’s wedding. His wife and child had entered the country a few days earlier.
On 31 August, two participants of a pro-European rally in Batumi were verbally and physically assaulted by a passerby. Video footage recorded at the rally shows several individuals insulting and threatening the participants.
According to the participants, the confrontation followed a poster and chant stating: “Russia is an occupier and a terrorist.” Rally participant Dariko Chitadze said that the passersby asked her why she was saying that Russia is an occupier, after which she was physically assaulted.
Another participant, Mariam Kajaia, said she saw one of the individuals hit Dariko Chitadze. According to Kajaia, when she tried to intervene and turn on her camera, the confrontation continued against her as well. She said one of the women twisted her arms and hit her with an umbrella.
Dariko Chitadze and Mariam Kajaia required emergency medical assistance at the scene. Police and an emergency medical team were present at the site. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, an investigation into the incident is ongoing under Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which concerns violence.
Russian citizen Denis Kulanin, who was included in the list of persons pardoned by Mikheil Kavelashvili, has been placed in the Temporary Migration Accommodation Center.
Kulanin’s lawyer, Dimitri Nozadze, says that the defence has not received official information about his condition or whereabouts. According to Nozadze, there is a risk that Kulanin may be expelled from the country. The lawyer notes that, if returned to Russia, Kulanin may face serious danger, as in letters sent from prison he openly supported Ukraine and condemned Russia’s actions.
Denis Kulanin was detained on 28 March 2025 on charges of damaging a Ministry of Internal Affairs vehicle on Rustaveli Avenue. He had been sentenced to 2 years of imprisonment. Kulanin pleaded guilty and apologized for the act with which he was charged during the pre-trial hearing.
On 27 August, Mikheil Kavelashvili pardoned 226 persons in connection with the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God.
On 30 August, Tbilisi City Court issued a decision under which Kulanin will leave Georgia on 1 September at 13:00 and travel to a third country. Until then, he will spend another 48 hours in the Temporary Migration Accommodation Center.
Activist Mikheil Zakareishvili writes on social media that he has been summoned to court on 3 September based on materials prepared by the newly established “Division for Combating Hate Speech” within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to Zakareishvili, the case concerns three posts he published on Facebook. His post indicates that insulting or critical formulations directed at various public and politically active figures were assessed as an administrative offence.
Zakareishvili ironically listed the types of statements that may become grounds for administrative proceedings. Among them, he mentioned comments addressed to Tengiz Chanturidze, Vato Shakarashvili, Levan Makhashvili, Irakli Kobakhidze, and other individuals.
Administrative disputes against citizens over opinions expressed in public spaces are being initiated on the basis of reports drawn up by the newly established “Division for Combating Hate Speech” within the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The new division has been operating within the MIA since 1 June. Its task is to monitor and proactively identify statements disseminated in public spaces that degrade human dignity, are insulting, or contain hate speech, if they show signs of an administrative offence.
Georgian Dream MP Levan Machavariani disseminated a discrediting statement on social media targeting opposition parties, non-governmental organizations, and activists. Machavariani refers to them as “agent-run opposition parties,” “wealthy NGOs,” and “ultra-leftist, pseudo-liberal activists.” According to him, they serve “foreign patrons” and “several ambassadors inside the country,” while their agenda is the “constant destabilization of Georgia,” “sabotage,” “destabilization,” and “harmful activity.”
In the statement, the MP accuses opposition parties, NGOs, and activists of attempting to “organize a revolution” in recent years, acting against the country, discrediting the Church and clergy, and supporting “LGBT propaganda.” Machavariani also calls them “people without a homeland” and says they “owe an apology” to society.
Such rhetoric by a Georgian Dream representative can be assessed as a continuation of the ongoing discrediting campaign against civil society, opposition parties, and critical activists. Formulations about “agents,” “foreign patrons,” “people without a homeland,” and “harmful activity” aim to undermine the legitimacy of critical groups, portray their activities as anti-state, and reinforce a hostile environment toward them.
Judge Nino Enukidze imposed 15 days of administrative detention on Shota Odishvili, who was detained over an inscription on his T-shirt. According to lawyer Giorgi Tabatadze, Odishvili has been transferred to the Gurjaani temporary detention isolator. Shota Odishvili is an active participant in protest rallies. He was detained on 23 August near the Government Administration, after leaving a rally held on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.
According to the lawyer, Odishvili was sitting in an elevated area in front of the Government Administration and playing Sudoku on his phone. Tabatadze says Odishvili did not communicate with police officers; however, law enforcement officers later accused him of insulting the police.
According to the lawyer, an administrative offence report was drawn up against Odishvili under Article 166 of the Code of Administrative Offences – petty hooliganism – over the inscription on his T-shirt, and under Article 173 – disobedience to a lawful order of the police – on the basis of alleged verbal insults against police officers. Tabatadze says there is no evidence in the case proving that Odishvili verbally insulted police officers.
A solidarity rally marking Ukraine’s Independence Day was held near the Ukrainian Embassy. Participants wanted to unfurl the Georgian and Ukrainian flags; however, due to the size of the flags, fully unfolding them required stepping onto the roadway. Police did not allow citizens to move onto the road with the flags and carry out the symbolic act. After that, the participants began marching on the sidewalk.
The solidarity march ended at the Taras Shevchenko monument. According to reports, police used force to make the participants fold the large Ukrainian flag, which they were already planning to fold within a few minutes. In addition, police forcibly moved the participants onto the sidewalk.
A card was disseminated on a Facebook page affiliated with Georgian Dream, in which non-governmental organizations are again referred to as “foreign-funded NGOs.” The card uses a statement by Amiran Salukvadze, in which he refers to representatives of the organizations as “hired patriots” and calls on citizens to join his Telegram channel.
The disseminated card repeats a pro-government narrative that portrays civil society organizations not as independent public actors, but as groups “funded from abroad” and acting in line with “political interests.” Such formulations can be assessed as a continuation of the ongoing discrediting campaign against non-governmental organizations.
