A court has ruled that Russian citizen Aleksandr Popov, born in 1987, who urinated from the balcony of an apartment building in Tbilisi, committed an administrative offense. He has been sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention, following which he will be expelled from Georgia with a three-year entry ban.
The Russian citizen has the right to appeal the decision. However, because he was not represented by an attorney during the hearing, it remains unknown whether Popov will exercise this right.
The Russian national pleaded guilty to the act. He had purchased an apartment in Georgia and petitioned the court for an opportunity to complete renovations and remain in the country. The court found him guilty under two articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Georgia:
- Article 166, Part 1 — petty hooliganism, profane language, offensive harassment, and other disorderly acts disrupting public order and the peace of citizens. It carries a fine ranging from 300 to 5,000 GEL (Georgian lari) or administrative arrest for up to 20 days; foreign nationals may also face expulsion with an entry ban of up to 3 years.
- Article 166¹, Part 1 — sexual harassment, unwanted sexual conduct in public spaces that offends human dignity or is aimed at doing so, creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, or offensive environment. It carries a fine of 300 GEL.
“I regret what I did, and, of course, nothing like this will ever happen again,” Popov stated in court.
The Russian national also attempted to explain the motives behind his actions: he was visiting a friend whose pregnant wife had occupied the bathroom for an extended period. Being intoxicated, he needed to use the restroom urgently and, finding it occupied, stepped out onto the balcony. After noticing passersby below, the man claimed he intended to go downstairs to apologize, but law enforcement had already been called by that time.
Before retiring to the deliberation room, Judge Tornike Kapanadze addressed Popov:
“Committing an offense under the influence of alcohol is no excuse; however, sincere remorse is acknowledged as a mitigating circumstance. The extent to which your testimony substantiates that the act was committed out of sheer necessity will be evaluated by the court. There are always multiple alternatives available without resorting to the conduct you are charged with. In a civilized society, such behavior cannot be justified by such reasons!”
Law enforcement officers were alerted by eyewitnesses. One of them, Teona Golodze, later shared a video of the incident on social media. The footage shows the intoxicated man shouting “Glory to Russia!” after being confronted by bystanders.