Detention of peaceful demonstrators for political expression grossly violates their freedom of assembly and expression - GYLA
The detention of peaceful demonstrators for political expression grossly violates their freedom of assembly and expression, - GYLA has issued a special statement responding to the detention of activists at the city council yesterday.
The human rights organization states that the footage released shows one of the police officers hitting the activist in the face during the arrest, which, in their assessment, reaches the level of inhuman/degrading treatment.
GYLA urges the police to release the detained young people and notes that dispersing rallies in this manner is not only illegal, but also a crime under the Criminal Code.
“Today, July 26, 2026, activist Tornike Toshkhua was arrested in Tbilisi while exercising his right to non-violent, peaceful assembly and expression. Later, about a dozen demonstrators who had come to support him in front of the Tbilisi City Hall were also arrested. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the detainees “were holding offensive banners.
In addition, they were uttering offensive phrases, violating public order, and resisting law enforcement officers. Police officers arrested the individuals under Articles 166 and 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.”
A video posted on Netgazeti’s Facebook page shows a senior MIA official slapping a protester in the face during the arrest. It is noteworthy that the footage does not show any violent or disruptive behavior on the part of the protesters that would justify their arrest or such violence against them. In addition, a police officer slapping a protester in the face is an act that reaches the threshold of inhuman/degrading treatment. This act is another example of the normalization and systemic nature of violence in the police system.
The arrest of peaceful protesters for political expression blatantly violates their freedom of assembly and expression. Even when the expression is vulgar and directed at a specific person [in this case, Bidzina Ivanishvili], the state is obliged to take into account The context and role of expression in public discourse. In addition, politicians and representatives of state institutions have a much higher obligation to tolerate criticism directed at them than any other citizen. This reasoning extends beyond political figures to public figures who are in the public arena through their actions or even their position.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs must immediately release those detained for exercising their rights to expression and assembly and stop the illegal persecution of peaceful demonstrators. Dispersing rallies in this manner is not only illegal, but also a crime under the Criminal Code - unlawfully obstructing the exercise of the right to organize an assembly or demonstration or to participate in it (Article 161 of the Criminal Code), - the statement says.
For information, 10 people were detained yesterday during a rally near Tbilisi City Hall. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the detained "They were holding banners with offensive content."
"In addition, they uttered offensive phrases, violated public order and resisted law enforcement officers. The police arrested the individuals under Articles 166 and 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses," the MIA statement said.