OSCE chair fined in Georgia for joining anti-government protest

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has imposed a fine on OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen for violating public assembly regulations during her visit to Tbilisi on October 14.

Valtonen was fined for unlawfully blocking a public roadway while attending a small anti-government protest held outside the Georgian Parliament building. The rally, though peaceful, breached local laws governing public demonstrations, Caliber.Az reports, citing Georgian media.

Under Georgian legislation, protestors are permitted to occupy roadways only if their numbers exceed the capacity of the pedestrian zone. As the gathering did not meet this criterion, the action was deemed unlawful. The fine for such an administrative violation is set at 5,000 Georgian lari — approximately $1,800.

Valtonen’s participation in the demonstration has already drawn strong criticism from Georgian officials, who view her actions as interference in the country’s internal affairs. The incident has also triggered a diplomatic rift, with Tbilisi issuing a formal protest to the OSCE Secretariat and its member states.

To recall, the Georgian government has lodged a formal note of protest with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) following Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen’s unexpected participation in an anti-government rally during her official visit to Tbilisi. Valtonen joined demonstrators on Rustaveli Avenue on October 14, drawing sharp criticism from Georgian officials.

According to a statement by the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the protest note was sent to both the OSCE Secretariat and all participating states. The ministry expressed “deep concern” over Valtonen’s conduct, stating that her presence at the demonstration was outside the scope of her official program and constituted interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.

“In the note sent to the OSCE Secretariat, the Foreign Ministry underlines that, in addition to the official visit program in Georgia, Minister Elina Valtonen joined an anti-government rally held by a small group of people on the street and made a statement that is an attempt to mislead the international community about the situation in Georgia,” the statement says.

Reacting strongly to the incident, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili accused Valtonen of disregarding Georgia’s sovereignty and exploiting her position for political optics.

By Vafa Guliyeva