On February 2, the Georgian Dream government deployed police and special forces to prevent demonstrators from blocking the main highway during a pro-European rally near Tbilisi Mall. Over 50 protesters, including politicians Gigi Ugulava, Nika Melia, and activist Dima Bidzinashvili, were arrested. Reports of police violence, including physical assaults and mistreatment of detainees, prompted calls for investigations from the Centre for Social Justice and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association. Public Defender Levan Ioseliani condemned police misconduct and urged accountability. The deployment of special forces stems from newly-introduced regulation, classifying highways as “strategic sites,” making it a criminal offense to block them.
This recent law is not the only legislative change. On February 6, the Georgian parliament fast-tracked amendments to the administrative and criminal codes, aimed at tightening control over protests, media, and administrative regulations.
Key changes significantly expanded government authority and introduced new restrictions:
– Protests and public criticism are banned in enclosed spaces without the property owner’s consent.
– Blocking highways, bridges, tunnels, and transport hubs is prohibited.
– Verbal insults against government officials are now administrative offenses with stricter penalties.
– Public incitement to violence is punishable by up to three years in prison.
– Resistance or attacks on police officers are classified as serious crimes, carrying prison terms of 5–6 years.
– Group assaults on police or civil servants with dangerous weapons are considered aggravated offenses.
Another key amendment increased the maximum administrative detention period for public gatherings and related offenses from 15 to 60 days, significantly expanding police powers. The government also announced a media law to regulate journalistic standards and restrict foreign funding for media outlets.
These events were followed by a major political shift on February 5, when Georgian Dream, the majority party in parliament, voted to strip 49 opposition MPs of their mandates. The decision, backed by the Georgian Dream committee on procedural issues, reduced the number of MPs in the parliament from 150 to 101. This move primarily affected opposition coalitions, including Unity – National Movement, Coalition for Change, and Strong Georgia, which had declared the October 2024 elections illegitimate and refused to participate in parliamentary activities.
Human Rights Watch and the European Commission have expressed serious concerns about these developments. Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch criticized the amendments to the Administrative Offenses Code, particularly the extended administrative detention, as mechanisms to silence opposition. Meanwhile, the European Commission documented instances of coordinated police violence and called for accountability.