Protesters on Rustaveli Avenue congratulated prisoner Zviad Ratiani on his birthday.

On the 404th day of daily protests, supporters of Georgia's European integration announced a joint Christmas celebration near the parliament building and congratulated political prisoner Zviad Ratiani on his birthday.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on January 4, the 403rd day of daily protests, those gathered on Rustaveli Avenue demanded the release of political prisoners and an investigation into the use of chemical agents to disperse protests.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. They have been holding daily protests on Rustaveli Avenue. In October 2025, following the tightening of laws on assemblies and demonstrations, security forces began to arrest protesters on Rustaveli Avenue en masse. Most were accused of blocking the avenue and obstructing traffic.

Supporters of Georgia's European integration gathered again on Rustaveli Avenue this evening. The rally took place on the sidewalk in front of the parliament building, and participants traditionally brought national and European Union flags, Interpressnews reports.

The protesters announced that they planned to celebrate Christmas together on the evening of January 6 by gathering again on Rustaveli Avenue.

On the 404th day of continuous protests, those gathered on Rustaveli Avenue congratulated imprisoned poet and translator Zviad Ratiani on his birthday. Today he turned 55.

“The country should have solemnly celebrated this date: we should have read his poems, we should have held an evening dedicated to him, but today Zviad Ratiani is in prison. It will probably take Georgia a long time to wash away this great shame, but we can do it; we will rid ourselves of this shame. We will definitely live in a Georgia where poets like Zviad Ratiani don't need to be imprisoned. Freedom for Zviad Ratiani and all political prisoners!” Pirveli quotes one activist as saying.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in October, the Tbilisi City Court found poet Zviad Ratiani guilty of assaulting a police officer during a protest and sentenced him to two years in prison. He had been in custody since June 23, the day police detained Ratiani during a daily protest outside the Georgian Parliament. According to law enforcement, Ratiani allegedly struck one of the officers on the arm. Zviad Ratiani participated in the protests outside the Georgian Parliament from the beginning. On the first night of the protests, November 28-29, he was detained and brutally beaten by special forces, after which he was arrested for eight days. As a result of the beating, Ratiani suffered a broken nose and jaw. "They put me in a car and beat me non-stop there. They said, 'We'll break you, now let's see how you squirm.' They couldn't break me," Ratiani said in the article "JAMnews: Stories of Protesters Beaten in Tbilisi."