On 15 March, late at night, police once again removed tents set up in front of the Parliament building. Videos disseminated by activists show that the tents were taken away by municipal sanitation service personnel using a waste collection vehicle. Protest participants report that their personal belongings were removed together with the tents.
The Head of the Tbilisi Patrol Police, Goga Memanishvili, justified the removal of the tents on the grounds of maintaining public order and ensuring the safety of demonstrators. According to his statement, a fire that had occurred in the area several days earlier posed additional risks, which prompted the decision to dismantle and remove the tents. One of the protest participants, Darejan Tskhvitariа stated that, notwithstanding the removal of the tents, she intends to remain in the vicinity of Parliament and continue the protest.
For context, on 12 March, a fire broke out in Darejan Tskhvitariа’s tent in the early morning hours. According to her account, upon returning to the site, neither the tent nor her personal belongings were present. She further stated that the fire in the tents may have been linked to attempts to remove them. Subsequently, other protest participants provided her with new tents near Parliament; however, these were also removed by the police. As a form of protest, Darejan Tskhvitariа has reportedly been spending nights in the area surrounding Parliament for nearly one year.
For the second day, law enforcement officers have been subjecting individuals to searches and identity checks in the vicinity of the Parliament of Georgia. According to the authorities, these measures are being carried out for the purposes of ensuring security and pursuant to the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations. According to law enforcement officials, individuals who refuse to undergo a superficial search will be denied access to the area surrounding the Parliament and the protest site.
According to citizens, the checks are being conducted without the preparation of a written record and are carried out on an oral basis. One individual reportedly requested that a formal record be drawn up; however, law enforcement officers indicated that, in such circumstances, the individual would not be permitted to enter the protest area.
On 12 March, a notable deployment of law enforcement personnel was observed on Rustaveli Avenue, in the area surrounding the Parliament building, where officers were conducting checks of individuals participating in a public assembly. According to information disseminated on social media by photographer Giorgi Mosiashvili, law enforcement officials were reportedly subjecting all individuals carrying bags to searches.Participants in the assembly indicated that such measures were carried out in the absence of clearly articulated legal grounds or prior explanation, raising concerns regarding compliance with applicable standards. It was further reported that officers were inspecting bags with the apparent purpose of identifying and preventing the entry of tents into the area surrounding the Parliament, thereby potentially restricting the ability of demonstrators to sustain their presence at the site.
On 9 March, the ruling party Georgian Dream introduced a legislative amendment in Parliament proposing that enforcement of the so-called “Russian law” (the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence) be transferred to the State Audit Office. According to the explanatory memorandum, the State Audit Office already exercises oversight and enforcement functions in relation to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Law on Grants; accordingly, it is deemed appropriate for the same authority to be entrusted with the implementation of this law. The draft amendments were introduced by Georgian Dream Members of Parliament Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Cheishvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aluda Ghudushauri, Davit Matikashvili, Guram Macharashvili, Akaki Aladashvili, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, and Aleksandre Tabatadze.
The so-called “Russian law,” first initiated in 2023, establishes a requirement for civil society organizations and independent media receiving foreign funding to register in a designated registry and is referred to by critics as the “Russian law” due to its similarity to the “foreign agents” legislation in force in Russia. The draft law prompted large-scale public protests and international criticism in Georgia, following which its adoption was suspended in 2023. In April 2024, however, the ruling party reintroduced the draft law in Parliament and, on 28 May 2024, following the override of the presidential veto, the law was adopted.
The law obliges organizations receiving foreign funding to submit annual financial disclosures and provides for sanctions in the event of non-compliance. It has subsequently served as the basis for a series of further restrictive legislative amendments, which critics contend are aimed at suppressing dissent and constraining the activities of civil society and independent media.
On 28 January and 16 February 2026, the ruling party Georgian Dream initiated a legislative package introducing amendments to the Law on Grants, the Criminal Code of Georgia, the Code of Administrative Offences of Georgia, and the Law of Georgia on Political Associations of Citizens. On 4 March, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the proposed amendments in the third reading during a plenary session.
The adopted amendments significantly tighten the regulatory framework governing foreign funding and expand the legal definition of a grant to encompass not only financial resources but also in-kind contributions and technical assistance that may be used to influence political processes in Georgia. The legislative amendments also introduce additional restrictions on political activity, including prohibiting individuals employed by organizations receiving foreign funding from holding membership in political parties and strengthening liability for so-called “external lobbying.”
The legislative package further introduces amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia, under which the systematic non-recognition of state authorities, as well as public and repeated calls for the mass violation of legislation, disobedience to state authorities, or the establishment of alternative governing bodies, will be subject to legal liability. The law will enter into force upon its official publication.
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.
