Searches, arrests, and legal proceedings based on opinions expressed on Facebook have reached a new level, according to a statement by Nona Kurdovanidze, Chair of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), on social media. She was responding to today's searches conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) at the homes of civil activists.

Kurdovanidze noted that this practice appears to be becoming more frequent.

This trend has been evident since 2023 when the Ministry of Internal Affairs began classifying various opinions expressed on social media—whether in posts or videos—as administrative offenses, a stance that common courts have also upheld.

For example, the Kutaisi Court of Appeals found an individual guilty of an administrative offense for a post published on their personal Facebook page and fined them 2,500 GEL. The court ruled that "social networks, including Facebook, constitute a public gathering space, and every individual is obliged to adhere to commonly accepted ethical and moral standards. As for public order, the appellate chamber pointed out that it represents the collective behavior of members of society, ensuring public tranquility and manifesting itself in dignified behavior in public spaces."

Additionally, the court found a delivery worker guilty of an administrative offense for posting a video on TikTok titled "If you don’t want to hear profanity, don’t watch or listen." In the video, he expressed strong criticism of Tbilisi’s transportation policy. GYLA has since submitted this case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

"It seems this practice is set to become even more intensive," Kurdovanidze wrote on social media.