21:37, 1 November 2025

A protest in central Tbilisi ended with arrests.

Protesters blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue, but were soon forced to lift the blockade, and at least one participant was detained. Security forces reported 29 demonstrators detained over the past five days, and one of them, Zurab Menteshashvili, has been charged with repeatedly blocking the road.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," protests demanding the release of political prisoners took place on October 31, the 338th day of continuous protests in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. After blocking Rustaveli Avenue, police detained several demonstrators.

After October 18, security forces detained protesters en masse on Rustaveli Avenue, most of them under the administrative law of "artificially blocking a road." Over three days, 60 protesters were detained by security forces and charged with blocking a Tbilisi avenue and obstructing traffic. Zviad Tsetskhladze, convicted of participating in the protest, went on a hunger strike on October 25 to protest his father's administrative arrest.

On Rustaveli Avenue, where protests have been taking place for the 339th day in a row, citizens blocked the roadway. Patrol Police officers called on protesters to clear the road. The protesters' demands remain unchanged: calling new parliamentary elections and releasing all those detained during the protest, Interpressnews reports.

A few minutes after the protest began, the police unblocked traffic; one of the protesters, Levan Butikashvili, was detained, Publika reports.

According to a video published by the publication, a group of people stood on Rustaveli Avenue, holding hands.

Over the past five days, 29 protesters have been detained by law enforcement officers for violating the rules for holding assemblies and demonstrations, in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia, for illegally blocking the roadway of Rustaveli Avenue, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. "The protesters did not obey repeated calls from Patrol Police officers not to commit illegal actions or block the roadway. Despite the small number of people, the demonstrators again blocked the roadway and artificially created an obstacle to the movement of vehicles," Georgia Online reported, citing the ministry's statement. "The measures provided for by law were taken," the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that on October 31, 2025, officers detained Zurab Menteshashvili for repeatedly blocking a road during a protest. He had previously been arrested for seven days on October 24 for a similar violation. A criminal case has now been opened against him under Article 347 of the Criminal Code for violating the new procedure for holding assemblies and demonstrations, Pirveli TV reported.

Giorgi Tsikarishvili, who was detained on October 31 for blocking a road, was sentenced to Interpressnews reports that he was sentenced to 10 days of administrative arrest. Tsikarishvili previously worked at the Georgian Foreign Ministry, where he represented the Euro-Atlantic Integration Department. He signed a joint statement published by Agency staff following Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement that Georgia was abandoning the EU accession process. Giorgi Tsikarishvili left the Foreign Ministry in June, Publika reported.

Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416862