During the consideration of a case initiated on the grounds of blocking a road, GYLA became aware that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is carrying out targeted surveillance of specific individuals while processing videos – it is unclear what legitimate purpose is served by the close-up of papers held by a protester with their back to the video camera and the monitoring for a certain period, which made it possible to read the existing text, said Nona Kurdovanidze, the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, at a briefing.
As Kurdovanidze explains, "This gives us grounds to assume that the camera control is being carried out mechanically by a specific person or persons."
Moreover, she noted that "it is alarming that the Ministry is trying to obtain access to the personal information of peaceful protest participants in this manner."
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs continues the mass use of facial recognition cameras against protest participants during the processing of administrative offense cases. This practice is especially evident in cases initiated on the grounds of blocking a road. As a rule, in such cases, the only evidence consists of photos extracted from facial recognition cameras, which the court often considers sufficient for determining a person as an offender, largely ignoring the relevant context. The court usually does not assess whether the identification of the person was done legally or whether the person who conducted the identification had proper access to protected databases according to personal data protection laws. This practice is deliberately used both to intimidate citizens and to control the future behavior of protest participants. It also has a 'chilling effect,' which may manifest as self-restraint in the exercise of freedom of expression.
During the consideration of a case initiated on the grounds of blocking a road, GYLA became aware that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is carrying out targeted surveillance of specific individuals while processing videos. Specifically, in one of the protest videos from January 2025, which the Ministry presented as evidence in the Tbilisi City Court, it was recorded that a protester on Rustaveli Avenue was being followed by a camera in 'live mode.' The video shows how the camera moves in the direction the protester is walking, and later, when the individual is standing with their back to the surveillance camera and reading a document, the corresponding person zooms in on the frame to the point where it becomes possible to fully discern what the citizen is reading. This indicates that the protester's movements and the specific framing of the shots are being monitored in 'live mode.' This gives us grounds to assume that the camera management is mechanically controlled by a specific person or persons. The video recording suggests that cameras can not only identify individuals but also gather other types of information, even when that information is not legally connected to the administrative offense case. It is unclear what legitimate purpose is served by the close-up of papers held by a protester with their back to the video camera and the monitoring for a certain period, which made it possible to read the existing text.
It is alarming that the Ministry is attempting to obtain access to personal information of peaceful protest participants in this manner. At the same time, this aims to instill fear among the protest participants that the state will not only identify them and impose heavy fines but will also spy on them.
The European Court of Human Rights has assessed the use of facial recognition technology and similar surveillance in 'live mode' as an interference with freedom of expression and the right to private life. According to the court, the use of such technology in the context of exercising freedom of expression is incompatible with the ideals and values of a democratic society governed by the rule of law (Glukhin v. Russia, no. 11519/20).
According to GYLA, this fact points to the illegal and unlawful collection and processing of personal information by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. GYLA has previously called on the Personal Data Protection Service to investigate whether a pre-assessment of data protection impacts was carried out, whether actions regarding data are being properly recorded, and whether the organizational and technical security measures of the current law comply with the legal standards. However, it is still unknown what the final decision of the service regarding this issue is.
We once again call on the Personal Data Protection Service to thoroughly and promptly investigate this fact and take effective action," said Kurdovanidze.