Judge Tornike Kapanadze of Tbilisi City Court imposed three days of administrative detention on Aleksi (Buka) Petriashvili, former State Minister for European Integration, for standing on the sidewalk. The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleged that, on 17 December, Petriashvili had created an obstruction to pedestrian movement on the sidewalk in front of Parliament.
Before the decision was announced, Petriashvili told the court that the video did not show any indication that anyone’s movement on the sidewalk had been obstructed. According to him, there was sufficient space around him and people were moving freely. Petriashvili also stated that, on 17 December, there had been no instruction from the Ministry of Internal Affairs at the location, and argued that the law in question contradicts the Constitution of Georgia and international standards.On the same day, Judge Kapanadze also heard the case of another protest participant, Sandro Sekhniashvili, and issued him a verbal warning. The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleged that Sekhniashvili had blocked the roadway in front of Parliament on 7 February.
The Tbilisi City Court found several activists liable for administrative offences on charges of blocking the road. The decisions were issued by Judge Koba Chagunava.
Protest participant Rezi Dumbadze was sentenced to 4 days of administrative detention. The Ministry of Internal Affairs charged him with artificially blocking a roadway on January 31.
The same judge imposed 3 days of administrative detention on Zviad Mariamidze. Ana Meburishvili and Natia Tsitsilashvili were issued verbal warnings by the court.
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 23 January 2026, judges of the Tbilisi City Court found seven citizens liable for administrative offences in connection with standing on a sidewalk. Of these, five individuals (men) were sentenced to administrative detention, while two individuals (women) were issued verbal warnings, as follows:
- Sandro Megrelishvili – four days of administrative detention (Judge Davit Makaradze);
- Dimitri Jamburia – four days of administrative detention (Judge Davit Makaradze);
- Luka Nagliashvili – five days of administrative detention (Judge Davit Makaradze);
- Mikheil Zakareishvili – five days of administrative detention (Judge Zviad Tsekvava);
- Nukri Kakulia – four days of administrative detention (Judge Manuchar Tsatsua);
- Ani Akhmeteli – verbal warning (Judge Zviad Tsekvava);
- Natia Chavchanidze – verbal warning (Judge Manuchar Tsatsua).
The Ministry of Internal Affairs alleged that, by standing on the sidewalk, the individuals obstructed the movement of other citizens. This marked the first instance in which courts imposed administrative detention in proceedings related to the so-called “sidewalk cases.”
Another repressive legislative amendment restricting the exercise of the right to freedom of assembly was adopted by the “Georgian Dream” party on 12 December 2025. The amendments were adopted following accelerated parliamentary consideration over a three-day period. As a result of these amendments, protest activity on sidewalks was effectively prohibited. 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 in the case of an organizer), while a repeated violation may give rise to criminal liability.
The first activist to be subjected to court proceedings following the adoption of the stricter legislation was Ani Akhmeteli, who was served with notice on 23 December. The first judicial decision in sidewalk-related cases was delivered on 22 January, when Judge Tornike Kapanadze found civil activist Rezi Dumbadze liable for an administrative offence and issued a verbal warning. In 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 legal scrutiny when assessed against the standards of freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and by international human rights instruments.”
