Prepared by Messenger Staff
Five Detained at Tbilisi Rally Sentenced to Administrative Detention
The Tbilisi City Court has sentenced five participants in a rally on Rustaveli Avenue to administrative detention. Three of those arrested were charged with artificially blocking the road, while two were accused of covering their faces during the demonstration.
Activist Nino Beruashvili received a four-day sentence for blocking the road, and journalist Keta Tsitskishvili was sentenced to five days for the same offense. Actor Saba Japaridze and activist Temo Saralidze were both sentenced to six days for covering their faces at the rally, while activist Tamar Totladze received six days for blocking the road.
The arrests follow similar actions on October 19, when 14 people were detained on charges of blocking the road and covering their faces. Nine of those detainees were sentenced to administrative detention.
Authorities said participants violated the "Law on Assemblies and Manifestations" by artificially blocking the roadway without the required number of participants.
Interior Minister Visits Israel to Strengthen Police Cooperation
Georgian Dream Interior Minister Geka Geladze is on an official visit to Israel, where he met with Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the Georgian Interior Ministry said. The ministry released photos of the two ministers during the visit.
Geladze is accompanied by a delegation and is visiting Israel following Ben-Gvir's official trip to Georgia in August. During that visit, Ben-Gvir met with senior Georgian Dream officials, including Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Geladze.
During the current visit, Geladze and Ben-Gvir signed a cooperation memorandum aimed at expanding police collaboration between Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Israel's Ministry of National Security. The agreement will cover the exchange of professional experience, enhanced cooperation between migration departments, and collaboration between police academies, the Interior Ministry said.
"During the bilateral meeting, the ministers discussed current issues of cooperation between the law enforcement agencies," the ministry said. "Particular attention was paid to ongoing and future initiatives aimed at sharing experience and best practices between the two sides."
Geladze emphasized the importance of police attachés in strengthening bilateral cooperation and expressed gratitude to Ben-Gvir for "a productive working meeting and for the hospitality," according to the press release.
