TBILISI, October 19 – A Tbilisi court on Sunday sentenced journalist and TV anchor Vakho Sanaia to six days in administrative detention after finding him guilty of violating Georgia’s law on public assemblies.
Judge Manuchar Tsatsua ruled that Sanaia, a prominent presenter on opposition-leaning broadcaster Formula TV, was guilty of blocking traffic during a protest on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi on the evening of October 18. The Interior Ministry had accused him of “artificially blocking the roadway” during a demonstration that drew several dozen participants.
Speaking in court, Sanaia denounced the verdict as politically motivated, calling the government a “regime” that had “torn up the constitution” and “changed the country’s foreign course.” He said he had a moral duty to stand “where the people are” and expressed confidence that “this struggle will end with our victory.”
According to the Interior Ministry, 14 people were detained and proceedings are underway against 13 others over the same protest. Police said the demonstrators violated Article 11-1 of Georgia’s Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations, which prohibits blocking traffic unless crowd size makes it unavoidable. Authorities said participants ignored multiple police warnings and that some wore face coverings, which the ministry said also constituted a violation.
A February amendment gave police wider powers to reopen roads blocked by protests, authority that appears to have been applied in recent days, which saw the fining of Finland’s foreign minister for appearing at one rally.
The arrest of one of Georgia’s most well-known TV personalities sparked sharp reactions from Georgia’s media community and opposition figures, who see the case as part of a wider pattern of pressure on journalists. Sanaia’s employer, Formula TV, earlier condemned his arrest as an attempt to intimidate independent media.
