Georgia’s authorities have sharply tightened the rules governing protests in Tbilisi. Following amendments to administrative and criminal legislation adopted on October 17, monetary fines for protest-related violations were replaced by detention: covering one’s face at a rally can now bring up to 15 days of arrest, or 20 days for organizers, while disobeying police orders can raise the penalty to 60 days.
On Rustaveli Avenue, where anti-government demonstrations have continued for more than 300 days, police began stopping people near Freedom Square metro station, searching them and confiscating masks. Dozens were detained within several days. Those arrested included poet and data analyst Saba Japaridze, who received six days in custody; Formula journalist Keta Tsitskishvili, sentenced to five days; TV host Vakhtang “Vakho” Sanaya, given six days; social media journalist Tsira Zhvania, sentenced to ten days; and writer Beka Kurkhuli, who received eight days.
“Georgia already has more political prisoners per capita than Russia,” said OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen after her visit to Tbilisi.
Amnesty International described the new wave of arrests as an attack on freedom of expression and assembly. About 30 nongovernmental organizations said the new rules effectively ban peaceful protest and violate both the country’s constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. On October 21, Georgia’s Interior Ministry said it had recorded 53 violations and identified 42 offenders during the first three days.
The protests in Georgia have continued since last November, when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that talks on joining the EU would be frozen until 2028. According to the protest movement, more than 1,000 people have faced administrative prosecution during that period, while about 100 activists convicted on criminal charges are regarded by protesters as political prisoners.
Against that backdrop, Tbilisi’s relations with European institutions continue to worsen. In Luxembourg, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said the Georgian government was ignoring society’s wish for a European future, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the European Commission would present a report by mid-November on suspending visa-free travel. She said a new mechanism would make it possible to target representatives of Georgian Dream, and Brussels sources say their family members may also be affected.