Imprisonment for standing on a sidewalk - these decisions contradict the Constitution of Georgia, all international standards in the field of human rights, and establish a new practice characteristic of authoritarian countries such as Russia, says Transparency International Georgia in response to the decisions issued by the Tbilisi City Court.

According to the statement by Transparency International Georgia, the judges who issued these decisions, or who may issue similar ones in the future, will never have any justification. The organization explains that arguments such as “this is what the law says” will never be acceptable, because the Constitution and numerous international conventions to which Georgia is a signatory are being violated.

“On January 23, 2026, Ivanishvili’s obedient court, for the first time in its already not very honorable history, delivered several unprecedented decisions. Participants in civil protest - Sandro Megrelishvili and Dimitri Jamburia, Nukri Kakulia - were each sentenced to four days of administrative detention, while Mikheil Zakareishvili and Luka Nagliashvili were sentenced to five days each, for standing on a sidewalk. The decisions were made by Tbilisi City Court Judge Davit Makaradze and sanctioned judges Manuchar Tsatsua and Zviad Tsekvava.

We believe that these decisions contradict the Constitution of Georgia, all international standards in the field of human rights, and establish a new practice characteristic of authoritarian countries such as Russia.

It should be noted that yesterday, another judge of the same court - Tornike Kapanadze - found civil activist Rezi Dumbadze administratively liable, but applied a verbal warning instead of detention. The court also applied verbal warnings in the cases of Ani Akhmeteli (Judge Zviad Tsekvava) and Natia Chavchanidze (Judge Manuchar Tsatsua).

Legislative amendments that provide for administrative detention of up to 15 days for standing on a sidewalk for the first offense, and in case of repetition, criminal punishment of up to one year of imprisonment, were approved by the illegitimate parliament of ‘Georgian Dream’ on December 10, 2025. Notably, the so-called parliament adopted the legislative amendment - which in effect abolishes one of the fundamental human rights, freedom of assembly, in our country - on International Human Rights Day.

Imprisonment of a person for standing on a sidewalk, even under administrative procedure - let alone criminal punishment - cannot withstand any criticism when assessed against the standards of freedom of assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and international human rights instruments.

Georgia has already lost numerous cases at the Strasbourg Court precisely due to violations of freedom of assembly. For example, very recently the Court published its judgment in the case Mekvabishvili v. Georgia, in which the Georgian state was found to have violated Articles 6 (right to a fair trial) and 11 (freedom of assembly) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

Judges who have issued or will issue similar decisions will never have any justification. Their arguments that “this is what the law says” will never be accepted when the Constitution of Georgia and many international conventions to which Georgia is a signatory are being violated.

In addition to having the option to terminate the proceedings due to the absence of an offense, they also could have suspended the case and applied to the Constitutional Court with an appropriate submission, as provided for by Article 6, paragraph 2 of the Civil Procedure Code. This is exactly what their colleague Vladimer Khuchua did, for which he deserves public respect.

Transparency International Georgia protects and will continue to protect the rights of all individuals - before both domestic and international courts - whose rights, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, have been unlawfully violated by the state. At the request of the complainants, we will submit applications to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg,” Transparency International Georgia states.