Human rights activists criticized Georgian Dream's amendments to the law on rallie

The restrictions on spontaneous protests proposed by the ruling party contradict the Georgian Constitution and make public gatherings without police approval a crime.

As reported by the " Caucasian Knot ," on December 8, it became known that the Georgian parliament plans to expedite the consideration of amendments to the law "On Assemblies and Demonstrations" and the Code of Administrative Offenses, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, banning spontaneous protests near government buildings.

The new initiative by the Georgian Dream party "essentially criminalizes freedom of expression and assembly," said Nona Kurdovanidze, chair of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, a human rights organization.

According to her, the changes envisaged by the new bill contradict the Georgian Constitution. "In places where cars are not allowed, introducing such restrictions is completely unacceptable and violates the Constitution," Georgia Online quoted her as saying on the evening of December 9.

According to the bill, the Ministry of Internal Affairs' notification of a rally is merely a notification, but given the bill's content and "its restrictive tone," it is tantamount to a request for permission to hold the event, the human rights activist noted.

Restrictions cannot be established that make spontaneous expression of protest impossible.

"This is prohibited by both international treaties to which Georgia is a party and the Georgian Constitution. Moreover, the Constitutional Court of Georgia has already ruled on these issues and ruled that restrictions that make spontaneous protest by citizens impossible cannot be imposed. However, holding spontaneous assemblies is effectively ruled out by the new amendments," the publication quoted Nona Kurdovanidze as saying.

As a reminder, the Georgian parliament passed a previous bill toughening penalties for violations during protests, including road blockades,  in a rushed manner over two days in October, following the attempted storming of the presidential palace. Prior to this, on February 6, parliament had already toughened penalties for violations during protests.

For the second year, daily protests have been taking place in Georgia demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of all those detained for participating in the demonstrations. Demonstrators have blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue for 343 consecutive days. Since November 6, security forces have prevented activists from blocking traffic, setting up cordons along the roadway, and have detained protesters for attempting to enter the road.

On December 9, the 377th day of continuous protests, demonstrators marched through central Tbilisi, calling on Georgian citizens to join the protests. 

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. Over 1,000 people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, " Key Points on the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia ."