Journalists, teacher, psychologist, singer fined 5,000 GEL each for protesting near judge’s house

Today, February 10, at the Kutaisi City Court, Judge Tsitsino Mosidze found 9 people guilty of violating the law for holding a protest rally near the house of Judge Malkhaz Okropirashvili and unfurling a banner: “Freedom for the Sun.”

The judge fined the following individuals, who were brought to administrative responsibility, GEL 5,000 each:

Gela Mtivlishvili – journalist, editor of Georgian News / Mountain News;

Nino Katamadze – musician, founder of the “Nino Katamadze Foundation”;

Vladimer Apkhazava – teacher, first recipient of the National Teacher Award;

Khvicha Vashakmadze – journalist;
Ketevan Filauri – psychologist;

Maia Tsiramua – psychologist;

Irina Zarandia – civil activist;
Givi Tsintsadze – member of the Lanchkhuti City Council;
Eka Kukhalashvili – journalist of the Kutaisi Post.
We would like to remind you that on February 7, 2025, the First Police Department of the Kutaisi City Division of the Imereti Police Department drew up an administrative offense report against the above-mentioned persons for gathering near the residence of Malkhaz Okropirashvili, a judge of the Kutaisi Court of Appeal (Part 3 of Article 174¹ of the Code of Administrative Offenses). According to the new wording of this article adopted on February 6, holding a gathering at the residence of a judge is punishable by a fine of 5,000 GEL or up to 60 days of imprisonment, while previously the sanction provided for up to 15 days of imprisonment.
On January 26, 2025, the participants of the assembly protested the illegal imprisonment of Mzia Amaglobeli in a symbolic act of solidarity at the judge’s house. This was in response to the decision made on January 25, according to which Judge Malkhaz Okropirashvili left Mzia Amaglobeli’s appeal, in which she requested to change the preventive measure, unexamined.