Protesters on Rustaveli Avenue were subjected to new arrests.
On the 533rd day of continuous protests in Tbilisi, the court sentenced two more participants in the protests on Rustaveli Avenue to administrative arrest – former State Minister for European Integration Alexi Petriashvili and student Natia Chelidze.
As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on May 13, the 532nd day of continuous protests, participants in the protest on Rustaveli Avenue expressed support for the arrested activists and demanded their release.
Supporters of Georgia's European integration, carrying national and EU flags, gathered on the pedestrian section of Rustaveli Avenue near Parliament for the 533rd consecutive evening.
Protesters held signs with accusations against Georgian Dream representatives: "Children without medication, students in prison—is this Kotsov's world?" and "Kots is not a party affiliation, it's a mental condition that is difficult to treat."
Parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have been camping outside the government chancery since April 20th, demanding modern medications for the treatment of this disease. Protesters outside parliament support their demands. According to the organization "Together Fighting Duchenne Dystrophy," there are approximately 100 children with this diagnosis in Georgia. Three of them have died recently, one of the most recent deaths occurred in early March, Tbilisi_life reports.
Activists also held signs reading "Together to Victory, March on May 26," "Struggle Always Makes Sense," "Victory is the People's," "Victory is Near," and "In This Country, the Police Are the Violators," according to posts by photographer Mo Se and Georgian media outlets on Facebook*.
The Tbilisi City Court today sentenced two more protesters to administrative arrest, accused by police of blocking a sidewalk. Former State Minister for European Integration Alexi (Buka) Petriashvili received three days' arrest, while student Natia Chelidze was sentenced to two days' arrest.
Petriashvili's case concerned the December 17 protest. The former minister himself called the charge of standing on the sidewalk and obstructing pedestrian traffic "comical." In court, he stated that the video of the protest did not prove a violation, as people were moving freely around it, according to News Georgia.
"I am a very law-abiding person by nature. Unfortunately, this has not been reflected in the fines I have received recently. The video shows no signs of anyone being obstructed [on the sidewalk]. (...) This law is completely anomalous. It completely contradicts the Constitution of Georgia. It is precisely such laws that underlie citizen protests. We have the right to peacefully protest," Aleksi Petriashvili stated at the hearing.
Natia Chelidze was accused of blocking the sidewalk near parliament during a protest on January 31. A similar administrative case was also heard today against Sandro Sekhniashvili, who participated in the protest outside parliament on February 7. In his case, the court limited itself to a verbal warning, Tbilisi_life reports.
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia".