Georgia’s Parliament enforces 'yellow security level’ ahead of Speaker’s report

The Georgian Parliament has implemented a yellow security level on Wednesday, restricting access to the parliamentary building. 

According to the press service of the Parliament, the measure aims to "ensure a safe and secure working environment" as the Chairman of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, is set to present a report on the annual activities of the legislature and outline the action plan for the upcoming year.

Under the yellow security level, only individuals invited by relevant parliamentary structural units will be permitted inside. Television journalists will also be allowed entry, but with a limitation - no more than two accredited teams from each broadcaster can access the building for coverage of the events, including committee and plenary sessions.

The press service has clarified that the yellow and red security levels were established based on a decree issued by Speaker Papuashvili in September 2023. The yellow level permits controlled access for invited guests and media representatives, while the red level imposes a complete ban on entry except for individuals authorized by the Head of the Parliament’s Staff.

Security restrictions in the Georgian Parliament are not unprecedented. On November 25, 2024, the first session of the 11th convocation of Parliament, which opposition parties, the country’s fifth President Salome Zourabichvili, and some voters deemed illegitimate, also saw the yellow level in effect. It escalated to a red level four days later as protests erupted outside the Parliament building over the government’s decision to delay opening European Union accession negotiations until the end of 2028.

The protests, demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of detained demonstrators, have continued. Security measures have since fluctuated, with the yellow level reimposed multiple times, including in December 2024 during the presidential election procedure.