New Laws in Georgia Make Protesting Harder and Fines Heavier
The Georgian parliament, led by the party “Georgian Dream”, has made it harder for people to protest and demonstrate. On February 6, they passed new laws that increase fines and punishments for those who take part in protests.
These new laws were passed quickly, in just two meetings of the parliament. They change eight different laws, including ones about demonstrations, fines, and crimes. The changes make it easier for police to fine or jail people who protest.
For example, people who shout insults at a police officer during a protest can now be fined up to 5,000 GEL (around $1,700 USD) or jailed for up to 60 days. If they do the same thing again, they could face even higher fines and longer prison time.
People who vandalize property during a protest can also expect harsher punishments. They could be jailed for up to 60 days instead of just five days.
The new laws were criticized by several high-ranking officials in Georgia, including Public Defender Levan Ioseliani. He warned that these changes threaten the rights of people to freely assemble and express themselves.
President Salome Zurabishvili also condemned the new laws, calling them an attempt to silence dissent and suppress protests against the government.
This comes at a time when there have been large-scale protests in Georgia for 71 days, with dozens of protesters being arrested.