Judge Manuchar Tsatsua of Tbilisi City Court found Duta Javakhishvili, a person with a disability, liable for an administrative offence and imposed a fine of GEL 5,000. The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleged that Javakhishvili had blocked the roadway on 7 February.
In the case of persons with disabilities, the law provides for a GEL 5,000 fine instead of administrative detention. According to Duta Javakhishvili, the decision will be appealed.
Judge Tornike Kapanadze delivered a decision in the case of two demonstrators, Nestan Mamatsashvili and Natia Gopodze. The case concerned the alleged “artificial blocking” of a roadway on 31 January, during one of the Saturday marches.
The proceedings against Mamatsashvili and Gopodze were consolidated and heard jointly. The court found both demonstrators liable for an administrative offenceThe court found both demonstrators liable for an administrative offence. Since Mamatsashvili is the mother of minor children, administrative detention could not be imposed on her; instead, the court imposed a fine of GEL 5,000. Natia Gopodze was sentenced to two days of administrative detention.
Tbilisi City Court fined civil activist Tamuna Kirtava 5,000 GEL in relation to the alleged blocking of a road on 31 January, during the “Saturday March”. The decision was delivered by Judge Davit Makaradze.
The case was examined under administrative proceedings. After the representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs learned that Kirtava has an 11-year-old child and that the law did not allow the use of administrative detention against her, the Ministry requested the court to impose a fine.
“[…] The fact that I am sitting here is already an injustice. You may even send me to detention. Your decision does not have decisive importance. I am sitting here because I stood at a protest,” Kirtava told the judge.
Ia Melitauri, an activist participating in the ongoing protest, was fined 2,500 GEL by the court. The decision was delivered by Judge Tornike Kapanadze of Tbilisi City Court. The administrative offence case against Melitauri concerns a social media post that contained obscene language and mentioned the surname “Salukvadze”. According to the position of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the post was directed at police officer Lasha Salukvadze.
The case was examined under Article 173(2) of the Code of Administrative Offences, which concerns verbal insult of a police officer and provides for a fine ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 GEL or administrative detention of up to 60 days.
According to the defence, the case did not establish that the disputed post was published by Ia Melitauri. In addition, the defence lawyer argued that the post referred only to the surname “Salukvadze”, without a first name, status, or other identifying details, and therefore it was not proven that the text was specifically directed at police officer Lasha Salukvadze.
Activist Mariam Mekantsishvili was imposed a fine of 4,000 GEL on the grounds of insulting municipal assembly member Beka Davituliani. The decision was taken by Judge Tornike Kochkiani.
The incident, in relation to which the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated administrative proceedings, occurred on April 9. At the April 9 memorial, Meqanqishvili referred to the MP as a “traitor to the country,” a “Russian slave,” and a “betrayer.”
In response to the demonstrator’s protest chants, Davituliani repeatedly instructed her to move away, after which he became irritated, grabbed her, and forcibly removed her from the area.
On 22 October 2025, Judge Nino Enukidze of the Tbilisi City Court found civic activist Giorgi Eliashvili liable for an administrative offence on the grounds of failure to comply with a lawful order of the police and imposed an administrative fine of GEL 2,000.
According to available information, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia alleged that Eliashvili had artificially obstructed a roadway and failed to comply with a lawful police order, namely to leave the road. However, the court established that Eliashvili had not blocked the road and discontinued the proceedings in that part. Notwithstanding this finding, the court nevertheless held him liable for disobedience and imposed the fine.
Proceedings commenced in October 2025 and were postponed on several occasions due to the failure to present evidence. The examination of evidence was concluded in November 2025. Video footage submitted by the defence indicates that, at the time of detention, Eliashvili was standing on the curb and was subsequently moved onto the roadway by police officers. Eliashvili was detained on 22 October 2025.In a social media statement, his lawyer, Boris Chele Kurua, questioned the legal basis for the finding of disobedience, noting that the court itself determined that Eliashvili had not been engaged in the conduct (road blocking) which he was allegedly ordered to cease.
On 19 March, Judge Tornike Kochkian of the Tbilisi City Court fined activist Magda Mamukashvili GEL 5,000. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accused her of blocking a roadway during a pro-European protest held in front of Parliament on 7 March.
Mamukashvili wrote on social media that this constitutes the second fine imposed on her and that the decision was taken without consideration of her personal and family circumstances. She further stated that, during the court hearing, it was indicated that the sanction was imposed for her brief presence on the roadway, while, according to her, previous incidents involving violence and verbal abuse against her had not elicited any response from law enforcement authorities.
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.
On 9 March, Judge Zviad Tsekvava imposed administrative fines in the amount of 5,000 GEL each on active protest participants Magda Mamukashvili and Mako Kapianidze. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia alleged that, during a protest held on 31 January, they had artificially blocked a roadway. In its decision, the court refrained from imposing administrative detention. The court noted that both individuals are mothers of children under the age of 12, a circumstance precluding the application of administrative detention under the applicable legal framework.
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.
Judge Davit Makaradze of the Tbilisi City Court found civil activist and professor at Georgian Technical University, Temur Berianidze, liable for an administrative offence related to a protest on the sidewalk and imposed a fine of 5,000 GEL. Berianidze is a veteran of the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993) and holds the status of a person with a disability. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia alleged that on 17 December 2025 Berianidze created an obstruction to pedestrian movement on the sidewalk near the Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi.Administrative proceedings against citizens in relation to sidewalk protests commenced following legislative amendments adopted by Georgian Dream on 12 December 2025. 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.” In the so-called “sidewalk cases,” court proceedings have already concluded in relation to more than 20 activists. Some of them were subjected to administrative detention, while others (predominantly women) received verbal warnings. Administrative proceedings have also been initiated against a number of other activists, while court hearings in their cases have not yet been scheduled.
Civil activist Baia Margishvili was subjected to a preventive measure of bail in the amount of 5,000 GEL in a criminal case initiated against her on charges of contempt of court. The bail measure was imposed in her absence.
The incident that gave rise to the investigation occurred on 7 November 2025. On that day, Judge Zviad Tsekvava of the Tbilisi City Court was hearing a case concerning the alleged artificial blocking of a roadway by Margishvili. During the hearing, Margishvili stated: “They have torn the Constitution over your head – what are you talking about? This is how they have torn the Constitution over your head.” She then took the hearing record, tore it up, and scattered the pieces on the table in front of the judge. Following the incident, she was fined 200 GEL and removed from the courtroom.
On 10 February of the current year, Margishvili was notified that criminal proceedings had been initiated against her in connection with the same incident for which she had previously been fined. She has been charged under Article 366(2) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns the insult of a judge or juror and is punishable by a fine, corrective labour for a term of one to two years, or imprisonment for up to two years.
