Tbilisi City Court Judge Tornike Kapanadze terminated the administrative proceedings instituted against civic activist Ana Bdeiani and referred the case materials to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for further action. According to lawyer Marika Arevadze, the judge noted in the reasoned decision that the case may contain elements of a criminal offense.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleges that Ana Bdeiani, a mother of three, artificially obstructed a sidewalk. The administrative offense report was issued pursuant to Article 174¹, Part 10 of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia. Ana Bdeiani had previously been subjected to administrative liability on 4 November 2025 on the grounds of the alleged artificial obstruction of a roadway.
Since Georgian Dream adopted another repressive legislative amendment restricting freedom of assembly on 12 December 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been initiating proceedings against civic activists for obstructing citizens’ movement in connection with protests expressed on sidewalks, which the amended legislation in fact banned. Under the amended legal framework, a first violation is punishable by administrative detention for a term of up to 15 days (up to 20 days for organizers), while a repeated violation may give rise to criminal liability.
On the same grounds, the court has, to date, referred for further action to the Ministry of Internal Affairs the cases of two civic activists – Vazha Gaprindashvili and Giorgi Tsulaia.
Tbilisi City Court Judge Davit Makaradze remitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs the case of civic activist and United National Movement member Giorgi Tsulaia, who had been accused of obstructing movement due to protesting on a sidewalk. The judge identified indicia of a criminal offense in Giorgi Tsulaia’s case, as the activist had previously been subjected to detention for blocking a roadway (on 22 October 2025, he was sentenced to eight days of detention).
The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated new proceedings against Giorgi Tsulaia on 17 December 2025 in connection with his participation in a protest held on that date. On the same day, the Ministry initiated proceedings against more than 20 individuals, including doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, whose case was likewise remitted to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Since Georgian Dream adopted another repressive legislative amendment restricting freedom of assembly on 12 December 2025, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been initiating proceedings against protest participants with “obstructing citizens’ movement” for protests carried out on sidewalks, which the amended legislation in fact banned. Under the amended legal framework, a first offense is punishable by administrative detention of up to 15 days (up to 20 days for organizers), while a repeated offense may entail criminal liability.
Civic activist and doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili is facing the threat of criminal prosecution for standing on a sidewalk. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accuses him of “obstructing citizens’ movement” in connection with the protest held on 22 December 2025.
On 8 January, an administrative hearing was held in this case, after which Judge Tornike Kapanadze referred the case to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, citing the presence of elements of a criminal offense. Vazha Gaprindashvili has previously been identified as an administrative offender on the grounds of allegedly “blocking a roadway.”The Ministry of Internal Affairs has been bringing charges of “obstructing citizens’ movement” against protest participants for expressions of protest carried out on sidewalks since Georgian Dream adopted another repressive legislative amendment restricting freedom of assembly on 12 December 2025, which effectively banned protests even on sidewalks. Under the legislation, a first offense is punishable by administrative detention of up to 15 days (up to 20 days for organizers), while a repeated offense may result in criminal liability.
