Day: June 21, 2025
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Non-stop protests have been taking place across Georgia for 206 days since Georgian Dream announced it was halting the EU integration process. Since then, protesters have blocked Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, where the parliament building is located, every day, while daily gatherings have also taken place in other major Georgian cities. Georgian Dream authorities, whose legitimacy is disputed after the contested October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, have responded to the protests with force and repression.
The one-party parliament has introduced a series of repressive laws to crack down on dissent, independent media, and civil society. Dozens have been arrested and remain in jail on criminal charges, including protesters, opposition leaders, and journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. Key demands include the release of political prisoners, the resignation of the GD government, and the scheduling of new elections.
For earlier developments, refer to our previous:
Saturday, June 21
21:00 – Rustaveli Avenue Blocked on Day 206
Protesters again blocked Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue at the parliament as they gathered for a daily rally on Day 206 of non-stop Georgian protests.
16:00 – Nino Datashvili Remanded in Custody
On June 21, Tbilisi City Court Judge Eka Barbakadze sent activist and teacher Nino Datashvili to pretrial detention following charges filed by the Interior Ministry accusing her of assaulting a bailiff. Datashvili was arrested on June 20, nine days after the Interior Ministry launched a criminal probe on charges of assaulting a public servant, saying the activist “did not comply with the bailiff officers and physically assaulted one of them.” She faces four to seven years in prison if convicted. Read more here.
Friday, June 20
21:00 – Georgian protesters mark sixth anniversary of Gavrilov’s Night
Day 205 of the non-stop Georgian resistance coincided with the sixth anniversary of “Gavrilov’s Night,” when a violent dispersal of an anti-Russia rally on June 20, 2019, left many injured, including protesters and journalists.
To mark the date, Georgian protesters held various performances. They poured red paint into the Parliament fountain, turning the water the color of blood, wore red eye-patches in solidarity with those who lost an eye during the dispersal, while a group of activists showed up again in Guy Fawkes masks. They chanted “Revolution” and made a fire in the shape of the letter V, referencing a popular resistance-themed movie.
17:45 – Court Fines Anti-Occupation Activist Davit Katsarava
Tbilisi City Court fined Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement Strength is in Unity, 4,000 GEL and imposed a three-year ban on carrying firearms for a Facebook post that “insulted” Tea Tsulukiani, Georgian Dream MP and chair of the investigative commission that probes alleged crimes of the UNM-era. In the March 28 post, Katsarava called Tsulukiani and the commission the “pro-Russian slaves” who are prosecuting those who defended Georgia during the August 2008 war, referring to the summoning of General Mamuka Kurashvili.
13:40 – Activist Nino Datashvili Detained
Police detained activist Nino Datashvili on charges of allegedly assaulting a civil servant during a June 9 incident at Tbilisi City Court, where she was forcibly removed by bailiffs while attempting to attend a hearing for detained protesters. If convicted, she faces four to seven years in prison. Read more on the case here.
12:00 – Diplomat Says She Was Fired from MFA
Mariam Maisaia, one of the diplomat of Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, says she has been dismissed from her position. Maisaia considers the dismissal a punishment for publicly expressing her Georgian Dream critical stance. She had been serving at Georgia’s Permanent Mission in Geneva, Switzerland.
Thursday, June 19
23:54 – Sen. Risch: GD Government Takes Country Closer to “One-party Totalitarian State”
22:00 – Rustaveli Ave. Blocked to Traffic
For the 204th day in a row, pro-EU demonstrators gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, blocking traffic near the parliament.
17:53 – Rep. Wilson: “Anti-American” GD leader Ivanishvili “Perverted” Anti-corruption bureau to Crack Down on Civil Society
15:00 – March in Solidarity with Media Amid Pending ComCom Review
Media representatives and other protesters march towards the Communication Commission (ComCom), the state media regulator, which is about to review the Georgian Dream complaint against critical broadcasters over using terms that challenge the GD government’s legitimacy. Read more about the complaint here.
11:30 – Elene Khoshtaria Fined Over Facebook Post
Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the Droa party, was fined 4,000 GEL by Tbilisi City Court judge Davit Tetradze for a Facebook post that the court deemed an “assault” on a Georgian Dream MP. The post concerned Mamuka Mdinaradze, the GD parliamentary majority leader. She was also stripped of her right to carry a firearm for three years. Khoshtaria, unfazed, says she has no intention of paying the fine.
Wednesday, June 18
21:00 – Rustaveli Ave. Blocked to Traffic
On the 203rd consecutive day of pro-EU protests, demonstrators gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, blocking the road near the Parliament building.
Tuesday, June 17
21:00 – Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue Again Blocked to Traffic
Protesters again gathered at the parliament on Day 202 of non-stop protests for an evening rally, blocking Tbilisi’s main avenue to traffic.
16:00 – Formula TV Journalist Fined
Opposition-leaning Formula TV journalist Anamaria Gelitashvili has been fined 5,000 GEL for blocking the road on Rustaveli Avenue while allegedly performing her professional duties.
15:00 – IPI Calls on EU to Act Against GD’s Pressure on Independent Media
International Press Institute, along with several media organizations, has called on the EU to exert pressure on the Georgian Dream government “to end the suppression of independent journalism and to uphold democratic principles and media freedom.” The organization cited the recent adoption of repressive laws, including the FARA, the Law on Grants, and amendments to the Law on Broadcasting, arguing that “Independent media in Georgia may only have months left before they are forced to close, depriving the public of independent news.”
The group also assessed the recent complaints filed by authorities against opposition-leaning broadcasters Formula TV and TV Pirveli with the Georgian National Communications Commission (GNCC), as an attempt “to impose strict censorship and silence independent media.”
“This dismantling of media freedom, democratic freedoms, and journalists’ rights in Georgia, amid rising authoritarianism and a shift in Georgia’s geopolitical direction, has wider implications for democracy in the region,” the statement read. “We call on the Georgian Dream ruling party to end its assault on the media, repeal repressive legislation, and immediately release Mzia Amaglobeli.”
14:05 – Two Opposition Figures Summoned Again by GD Commission
Mamuka Khazaradze, Lelo party leader, has been summoned once again by the GD parliamentary commission investigating alleged crimes committed under the previous UNM government. This time, Khazaradze is being called in for questioning over what the commission describes as the “actions detrimental to Georgia’s foreign policy objectives during 2012-2025.” Khazaradze and fellow Lelo leader Badri Japaridze were first summoned on March 25 in connection with alleged business racketeering. Neither appeared before the commission.
Giorgi Gakharia, former prime minister and current leader of the opposition For Georgia party, has also been summoned by the commission for a second time.