Day: January 22, 2026

Protester Rezi Dumbadze was found guilty of “obstructing people’s movement” by standing on a sidewalk during a protest in front of Parliament on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, with a judge issuing a verbal warning to him in the first ruling of similar cases, most of which have been dismissed or postponed.

According to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, the judge who issued the ruling is Tornike Kapanadze. He was a judge in the western Georgian town of Ozurgeti from 2021 to 2025 before being transferred to Tbilisi in November 2025.

Dozens of protesters have been accused of “obstructing the movement of people” during routine nightly rallies on Rustaveli Avenue, where demonstrators have gathered since November 28, 2024. “Obstruction of free movement of people” became an administrative offense under the December legislative changes that made it punishable by up to 15 days of detention. This followed October measures that resulted in pushing protesters from roads, where they had blocked traffic, onto sidewalks, amid Georgian Dream’s continued efforts to curb anti-government demonstrations.

As the first summonses for “obstructing people’s movement” were reported days before the New Year, they were rescheduled until after the holidays. In early to mid January, several protesters said that their cases were dismissed or reclassified as criminal matters, in what appeared to reflect judges’ reluctance to impose detention for the offense that critics say amounts to just standing on a sidewalk during a protest.

Also Read:

• 20/01/2026 – Public Defender Challenges Protest-Related Restrictions, Penalties in Constitutional Court
  

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