Georgia police detain peaceful Tbilisi demonstrators, prompting rights outcry

On 26 July, Georgian police in Tbilisi arrested more than ten peaceful protesters, including activist Tornike Toskhu, after a demonstration outside the city council building. The demonstrators were holding banners and slogans that authorities described as offensive, but video footage showed no violent behaviour or breach of public order. Human‑rights group SAIA reported that an officer struck a protester in the face, calling the conduct “inhumane” and a breach of the right to peaceful assembly and expression, and urged the immediate release of those detained.

The Institute for Democracy Research (DRI) characterised the arrests as a continuation of repressive practices, noting that the police used force without explanation and failed to provide the legal basis for the detentions, contrary to Georgian law and European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs justified the arrests on the grounds of insulting banners and phrases, but both organisations argue the measures aim to silence dissent rather than maintain public order.