The ruling party, Georgian Dream, has introduced new legislative rules to make administrative and criminal offenses stricter, including ‘insulting officials’, ‘assaulting police,’ and threatening public service workers. The goal of these changes is to impose stricter penalties on offenses often associated with pro-EU protesters.
The primary legislative changes are:
- Increased penalties for administrative violations, including petty hooliganism, vandalism, offending police, and blocking government office entrances.
- Extended administrative detention, raising the maximum period from 15 to 60 days.
- Criminalization of insulting public officials in connection with their work.
- Stronger punishments for resisting or attacking police, with offenses now reclassified as serious crimes punishable by 5–10 years in prison.
- Stronger penalties for public calls for violence now carry up to three years in prison, while previously it was fined.
- New aggravating circumstances for crimes against police and state authorities.
- Criminalization of threats against public officials and state authorities.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, GD representative, announced the legislative changes on February 3, claiming that the “ongoing attempt to overthrow the government by agents of the ‘Deep State’” is to blame. He noted that these stricter measures are only the first step, and further changes can be expected to “ensure the proper functioning and independence of the state.”
