Denis Krivosheev, deputy director of Amnesty International for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, commented on the new wave of arrests in Georgia, where police detained dozens of protesters following the introduction of new restrictions on public gatherings.
“This highlights a growing trend of repression. While states may impose certain limits on protests to maintain public order, the new amendments go far beyond what is permissible under international human rights law.
Peaceful assemblies may temporarily disrupt traffic or cause inconvenience, but this does not justify dispersals or arrests, which should be a last resort in response to non-violent protest activity,” Krivosheev said.
On 19–20 October in Tbilisi, 20 people, including two journalists, were arrested for “blocking a road” and “concealing their identity.” The court sentenced them to administrative detention ranging from six to 14 days.