What facilities can be imprisoned for picketing in Georgia? The list has been announced 25 October 2024

Three days before the parliamentary elections, the Georgian government approved a list of administrative buildings with the status of strategic objects, the blocking of which may lead to criminal punishment, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.

According to media reports, the list includes the Georgian parliament, the government administration, the Central Election Commission, and even the Patriarchate.

Georgia's CEC office is being strengthened before the elections "to maintain a secure environment".

According to the decree that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze signed the day before, the seizure or blocking of strategic facilities is punishable by up to four years in prison, and in the case of terrorist actions, 10 to 15 years.

Strategic facilities include:

Parliament of Georgia;

ministries;

local governments;

courts and prosecutors;

The State Security Service and the Intelligence Service;

National Bank of Georgia;

embassies and consulates;

The Central Election Commission of Georgia;

The Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church;

state border crossing points;

facilities related to energy and water supply;

medical institutions;

buildings of television and radio companies;

port infrastructure and railways;

subway and airports.

The Georgian service of Radio Liberty notes that a similar resolution was adopted during the time of Eduard Shevaradze, a few weeks before the 2003 parliamentary elections. It was canceled in 2004 shortly after the change of government.

In May 2024, at the peak of the protests against the law on foreign agents, Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri announced that there would be no more picketing "disproportionate to loyal practice". Gomelauri then warned that blocking the parliament and other state facilities of special importance would be punishable by imprisonment for up to 4 years under Article 222 of the Georgian Criminal Code.