Liveblog: Resistance | Another Activist Fined 3500 GEL

Non-stop protests have been taking place across Georgia for 248 days since Georgian Dream announced it was halting the EU integration process. Since then, protesters have blocked Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, where the parliament building is located, every day, while daily gatherings have also taken place in other major Georgian cities. Georgian Dream authorities, whose legitimacy is disputed after the contested October 26, 2024, parliamentary elections, have responded to the protests with force and repression.

The one-party parliament has introduced a series of repressive laws to crack down on dissent, independent media, and civil society. Dozens have been arrested and remain in jail on criminal charges, including protesters, opposition leaders, and journalist Mzia Amaglobeli. Key demands include the release of political prisoners, the resignation of the GD government, and the scheduling of new elections.

For earlier developments, refer to our previous:

• Liveblog: Resistance 2024,
• Liveblog: Resistance 2025, Vol. 1
• Liveblog: Resistance 2025, Vol. 2
• Liveblog: Resistance 2025, Vol. 3

Tuesday, August 5

16:15 – Another Activist Fined 3500 GEL

Tbilisi City Court Judge Koba Chagunava has fined activist Mariam Mekantsishvili 3,500 GEL [ 1,296 USD] over the July 24 incident in Tbilisi’s Africa settlement. That day, tensions flared on Tvalchrelidze Street as the National Enforcement Bureau carried out evictions from a building it said was unsafe, privately owned, and illegally occupied. Throughout the day, dozens of families were removed, and other citizens gathered at the scene. By evening, 17 people, including residents and activists, had been detained on administrative charges, mainly for disobeying police orders.

12:30 – Appeals Court Overturns Fine Against RFE/RL Journalist in Contempt Case

The Tbilisi Court of Appeals, led by acting chair Irakli Shengelia, has overturned a decision by Tbilisi City Court judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili to fine Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Nino Tarkhnishvili 200 GEL [74 USD] for alleged contempt of court. Tkeshelashvili imposed the fine on July 7 during a hearing in the case of pro-European rally participant and doctor Giorgi Akhobadze, accused of drug-related offenses, claiming Tarkhnishvili sat down without permission before the judge formally allowed it. However, the Appeals Court, citing video footage of the session, found that Tarkhnishvili had stood up upon the court clerk’s prompt after the recess, refuting the City Court’s account and nullifying the penalty.

Monday, August 4

13:00 – RSF Slams Georgia’s Growing Wave of Journalist Entry Bans

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Paris-based press freedom watchdog, has condemned what it calls a “worrying rise in authoritarianism” after Moroccan journalist Hicham El Bouhmidi, known for covering anti-government protests, was denied entry at the Georgian border. Similar bans have affected other journalists, including French reporters Jérôme Chobeaux, Clément Girardot, and Marylise Vigneau were denied Entry in Georgia. “We condemn the wave of entry bans imposed on more than five journalists in recent months,” RSF stated, urging authorities to halt these restrictions on press freedom.