Georgian Interior Ministry denies claims of detentions for standing on sidewalks

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs on Friday rejected reports suggesting that several individuals were subjected to administrative detention for simply standing on sidewalks, describing the claims as inaccurate and manipulative.

In an official statement, the Ministry clarified that the cases stemmed from incidents in which participants in a gathering obstructed pedestrian movement near the Georgian Parliament on December 17–18. The Ministry stressed that Georgian law prohibits the deliberate creation of obstacles to the movement of people or vehicles during assemblies.

The statement also noted that the Constitution of Georgia requires prior notification to authorities when gatherings take place in areas used for pedestrian or vehicular traffic.

The Ministry added administrative proceedings were initiated and referred to court, where evidence presented during hearings confirmed the commission of administrative offenses. The court subsequently imposed the relevant administrative sanctions.