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Ahead of Scheduled Major Protest, GD Makes Closing Highways a Crime, Police Detains Activists

A new decree issued by the GD government on January 31, has added “highways of state and international importance” to the list of strategic and specially important facilities, significantly altering the legal landscape for public protests. The decision comes in advance of a mass protest scheduled to take place on February 2, at the entrance of Tbilisi with planned blocking of entrance highway. Meanwhile on February 1 police searched houses of several activists involved in the protests – Ilia Ghlonti, Kristine Botkoveli (a.k.a. Nancy Woland) of “Daitove” activist group and Isako Devidze of “Jiutebi” activist group. Ghlonti and Botkoveli have been detained by police.

The decree “On the Approval of the List of Strategic and/or Specially Important Facilities,” signed by the GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, was published in the Legislative Herald (Matsne) and took effect immediately.

The GD government’s decision amends Decree No. 361 of October 23, 2024, which established the criteria for strategic and/or specially important facilities. With the latest change, highways in Georgia—most notably, the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze highway—are now classified under the same legal framework as broadcasting facilities and communication institutions.

This new status criminalizes the seizure or blockade of these roads under Article 222 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, with violators facing corrective labor or imprisonment for 2 years. The same offense carries up to four years of imprisonment if committed “jointly” or “repeatedly.”

This move has caused outcry and is seen as stifling the protest movement aimed at interference with the major protest rally scheduled for February 2, 2025. The large-scale demonstration is to take place on the outskirts of Tbilisi and is expected to lead to road blockages.

Critics argue that the GD government’s legislative shift is designed to stifle public dissent. The director of the Equality Policy Program of the Social Justice Center, Tamta Mikeladze, argued that the change represents a continuation of the criminalization of protest in Georgia. “The government is clearly using these last-minute changes to intimidate citizens and dissuade them from exercising their constitutional right to assembly,” Mikeladze stated. She added that two days before a major protest, the GD government had created significant legal ambiguity, “making it harder for citizens to understand which actions are punishable.”

Another legal expert and one of the director of the JSC Guro Imnadze, also criticized the GD government’s decision, suggesting that it was a direct response to growing protest movements. “The government is afraid of protests, activist groups, and because of this fear, it is ready to legitimize all the features of authoritarianism,” Imnadze stated.

It’s been 66 consecutive days since Georgians have been protesting against the GD government’s decision to abort the EU accession process until 2028. For more updates, read our liveblog.

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This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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