Okay, here’s a breakdown of teh key points from the provided text, focusing on the issues with protest-related penalties in Georgia:
Core Problem: Disproportionate and Arbitrary Penalties for Protesters
* Extreme Fines: Protesters are facing extremely high fines, often equivalent to years of income, for relatively minor offenses.
* Lack of Justification/Proportionality Review: Courts are simply confirming fines issued by the Interior Ministry without independently assessing if they are justified or proportionate to the offense. There’s no meaningful evidence review.
* Pattern of Abuse: Lawyers report a consistent pattern of sanctions imposed without sufficient evidence and without considering the financial impact on protesters.
* Intimidation & Fear: The combination of intimidation, arrests, and large fines is creating a climate of fear, discouraging people from participating in peaceful protests.
Specific Examples & Data:
* Rusudan Kobakhidze: A 61-year-old philologist already in detention received three additional 5,000-lari fines (about $1,185 each), despite having a monthly income far below that amount.
* Statistical Data (2024-Sept 2025):
* 4,444 sanctioned for “petty hooliganism”
* 6,725 sanctioned for “disobeying police orders” (charges frequently used against protesters)
* 6,504 cases resulted in detention.
* Limited Data Transparency: The Ministry of Internal Affairs provides limited data,making it difficult to get a complete picture of the extent of the problem.
Legal & International Concerns:
* Violation of European Convention on Human Rights: Georgia is obligated to protect freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and any restrictions must be necessary and proportionate.
* Due Process Concerns: The convention requires Georgia to apply criminal due process safeguards even to offenses labeled as “administrative” if they carry significant penalties. The government may be mischaracterizing offenses to avoid these safeguards.
* International Criticism:
* Council of Europe (Venice Commission): Found that recent legislative changes undermine freedom of assembly, creating a “chilling effect.”
* OSCE (office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights): Criticized expanded detention powers and disproportionate sanctions, warning they could be used to silence protesters and civil society activists.
Overall Assessment:
The text paints a picture of a deliberate effort by the Georgian government to suppress dissent through the use of overly harsh and arbitrarily applied penalties against protesters. This is raising serious concerns about human rights, freedom of assembly, and the rule of law in Georgia.
Let me know if you’d like me to elaborate on any specific aspect of this information.
