Dozens of violators of protest rules detained in Tbilisi

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported the arrest of 29 participants in protest demonstrations over the past five days, from October 27 to 31. 

Authorities accuse the detainees of “illegally blocking Rustaveli Avenue,” an offence that, for more than two weeks, has carried significantly harsher penalties: it is now punishable immediately by administrative arrest, with no option to pay a fine.

In its statement, the ministry noted that “the participants of the action did not comply with repeated calls from patrol police officers” and that “despite their small numbers, the demonstrators once again blocked Rustaveli Avenue, artificially obstructing traffic.”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs again urged protesters “to refrain from committing unlawful acts.”

The current protests trace back to November 2024, when the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party suspended EU accession talks, sparking nightly vigils that quickly grew into mass mobilisations after the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections.

Official results awarded GD 53.9% of the vote, securing a supermajority, but opposition coalitions, including Unity for the Salvation of Georgia, denounced the outcome as a "Russian special operation," alleging fraud through AI surveillance and ballot manipulation—claims echoed by then-President Salome Zourabichvili, who boycotted the vote and called for a major rally on October 28.

Since November 2024, more than 400 arrests have been reported. The government has implemented increasingly strict measures to curb the protests, raising fines from ₾500 ($180) to ₾5,000 ($1,800) and eventually introducing imprisonment for first-time offences related to road blockades.

By Tamilla Hasanova