Georgian courts have begun jailing participants of the daily anti-government protests after repeated offences for ‘blocking roads’, in particular, for not paying the associated fines. The move came after many demonstrators and journalists were issued mass fines in recent months.
On Thursday, Tbilisi City Court sentenced two activists — Nika Narsia and Konstantine Mikaia — to 15 and 10 days in prison, respectively.
Both of them are active participants of the protests and have been hit with enormous road blocking-related fines of ₾5,000 ($1,800) each — the amount set under the toughened legislation passed by Georgian Dream at the end of 2024.
In Narsia’s case, the judge reviewed 19 administrative fines issued against him in April and May, of which, according to IPN, three were annulled due to the statute of limitations. The judge imposed a prison sentence for the remaining fines.
Narsia, who is currently on a short trip with his spouse, is expected to be detained as soon as he returns to Georgia.
He wrote on Facebook on Friday that he had ended his trip earlier than planned and would return to Georgia on the same night. The activist made this decision in order to quickly serve ‘this outrageously unfair sentence’ and be able to attend the anti-government demonstration planned in Tbilisi on 4 October, accompanied by calls for the government’s ‘peaceful revolution’.
In Mikaia’s case, the judge reviewed 11 fines issued against him and found the activist guilty in all instances.
In both cases, the court cited the administrative offences code, which allows for a fine up to ₾10,000 ($3,600) or imprisonment of up to 25 days for repeated violations of protest regulations by a participant.
Mariam Bogveradze
The prison sentences will annul the administrative fines that the court reviewed for both activists. However, other fines they have will remain in effect. For example, IPN cited Narsia saying that 28 fines issued in February are still unpaid.
The latest wave of protests in Georgia began on 28 November, when Georgian Dream announced the suspension of the country’s EU membership bid. The first phase of demonstrations saw heavy clashes and brutal police violence against protesters and journalists.
Alongside the physical crackdown, Georgian Dream passed numerous restrictive laws during the protests, targeting street demonstrations, the media, civil society, and the political opposition.
Under the new amendments, the fine for blocking roads increased tenfold, from ₾500 ($180) to ₾5,000 ($1,800).
Over the last couple of months, large fines have been issued against anti-government demonstrators based on the same charge, with some individuals being repeatedly fined multiple times. In addition to protesters, the police have also penalised several media representatives, including OC Media’s co-founder and photographer Mariam Nikuradze.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
