Georgian authorities issue two mln GEL in fines for protest roadblocks, GYLA

The total amount of fines issued to protest participants for spontaneous road blocking amid pro-European protests has reached two million GEL, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association said on Wednesday.

The fines were issued between November 2024 and March 18, 2025, following the Georgian Dream Government’s decision late last year to halt EU integration until 2028.

GYLA has raised concerns over the enforcement practices, saying that police were using facial recognition cameras to identify and penalize demonstrators.

“As a rule, the only evidence in such cases is photographs taken from facial recognition cameras, which, mainly ignoring the relevant context, are considered sufficient evidence by the court to consider a person a violator. The practice of fining demonstrators for blocking roads during spontaneous assemblies is a grave violation of the right to freedom of assembly and expression,” GYLA said.

The fines follow recent amendments made by the ruling Georgian Dream government, which increased penalties for spontaneous road blocking during demonstrations tenfold. Previously set at 500 GEL, the fine now stands at 5,000 GEL.

The use of facial recognition technology in identifying protesters has sparked debate over privacy and civil liberties, with rights groups warning of potential misuse in suppressing dissent. The government, however, maintains that the measures are necessary to ensure public order.