A Georgian journalist was detained after a protest in central Tbilisi.

Formula TV journalist Keta Tsitskishvili was detained the day after a protest in which participants blocked Rustaveli Avenue.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, yesterday, October 19, participants in the daily protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi blocked traffic, despite warnings from the police. At the same time, Formula TV presenter Vakho Sanaia and several participants in the previous protest on October 18 were arrested for artificially restricting traffic and wearing masks that concealed their faces.

The Georgian television company "Formula" reported the detention of its employee Keta Tsitskishvili. "They came for me too! The police showed up at my home. If they think I—or anyone in my family or my friends—will be scared, they're wrong. We'll win in the end anyway," Tsitskishvili wrote today on Facebook*.

The channel linked Tsitskishvili's detention to the protest in which participants blocked Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, calling it "an attack on independent media aimed at suppressing critical opinion."

"We demand the immediate release of Keta Tsitskishvili and call on our international partners to take active steps to ensure the regime pays a political price for persecuting independent media. Despite the pressure, Formula will continue to defend freedom of speech," the television company said in a statement, as cited by Sova.

Tsitskishvili was one of four people detained today in connection with the October 19 protest. Saba Japaridze, Tamar Tortladze, and Nino Beruashvili were also detained, Intepressnews reports.

Today, the Tbilisi City Court found activist Temur Saralidze guilty of committing an offense at yesterday's rally. He was sentenced to six days of administrative arrest. The Ministry of Internal Affairs accused the detainee of "concealing his face with a mask-like device," the publication clarified.

It should be noted that the Georgian Parliament adopted a bill toughening penalties for violations at protests, including blocking roads, on an expedited basis two days after the attempted storming of the presidential palace. Wearing a mask at a rally or blocking a road is punishable by 15 days of administrative arrest. If the offender is an organizer, the term is increased to 20 days. If police demand a halt to a rally, failure to comply will result in arrest for up to 60 days. A similar sentence applies for carrying firearms or pyrotechnics at a rally. Amendments to the Criminal Code introduce prison sentences of up to one year for repeated violations of the rules for participating in protests, and up to two years for subsequent violations.

On October 4, the day of municipal elections, thousands of people gathered in central Tbilisi. After opera singer Paata Burchaladze declared that power in Georgia belongs to the people, clashes broke out between protesters and security forces near the presidential palace. Security forces used riot gear, while protesters used firecrackers. Six demonstrators and 21 security forces were hospitalized, and another 30 people received medical treatment on the spot. Police have opened a criminal case in connection with calls to overthrow the government, an attack on police officers, and the storming of a palace.

Caucasian Knot is posting materials about the recent municipal elections and protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Elections Amid Protests".