The Tbilisi City Court has found activist Anna Bdeyan guilty of an administrative offense over comments she posted on the social network Facebook, sentencing her to a fine of 4,000 GEL (over $1,500).
“However, it was clearly noticeable that the judge was upset over being unable to sentence her to custodial detention—she is the mother of a minor child, which prevented him from applying such a measure,” Bdeyan’s lawyer, Marika Arevadze, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian Service.
The case was brought before the court by the Hate Speech Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. According to the administrative offense report, on August 4, 2026, Anna Bdeyan “used foul, offensive words and phrases” on Facebook.
In addition, “on August 18, 2026, under a Facebook post, she verbally insulted Irakli Kobakhidze, and on August 19, 2026, Beso Chubinidze.”
Proceedings were initiated under two articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses:
- Article 166, Part One — disorderly conduct (petty hooliganism), defined as the use of profanity in a public place, offensive harassment of citizens, and other similar actions that disrupt public order and peace.
- Article 17316, Part One — verbal abuse, profanity, offensive harassment, and/or other insulting actions directed at a state-political official of Georgia, a political official, a civil servant, an individual equated to a civil servant, and/or a public servant in the performance of official duties or in connection with their official duties or activities.
An inspection report of her Facebook profile, drafted by Elena Todua, an inspector for particularly important cases at the Hate Speech Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Human Rights Protection Department, was admitted as evidence against Anna Bdeyan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports.
As a reminder, the Hate Speech Division began operating within the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia on June 1. The Interior Ministry is prosecuting citizens for publicly insulting politicians and other figures on social media. Numerous citizens have already been fined, and journalist Vakho Sanaia was placed under administrative detention for 14 days.
