Day: January 23, 2026

Move comes after Canadian prime minister took aim at US president in Davos speech

Ukrainian, United States and Russian negotiators will hold talks in the United Arab Emirates on Friday, marking the first known meeting to be attended by all three countries since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

High-level delegations from the United States, Russia and Ukraine arrived in Abu Dhabi today (Friday) for two days of talks aimed at advancing a possible end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, as diplomatic momentum collides with unresolved territorial disputes and continued fighting on the ground. The meetings, described by Moscow as “security talks,” come after …

Protester Sandro Megrelishvili has been sent to four days in detention after Tbilisi City Court Judge Davit Makaridze found him guilty of “obstructing the movement of people” by protesting on a sidewalk in front of Parliament on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue.

Megrelishvili is the first protester to receive administrative detention in the so-called “sidewalk” protest cases. He was accused of obstructing pedestrian movement during a December 17 rally near Parliament. He was handcuffed in the courtroom upon the judge’s order. Yesterday, January 22, another protester, Rezi Dumbadze, received a verbal warning.

Dozens of protesters have been charged with “obstructing the movement of people” during nightly rallies on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue, where demonstrators have gathered since November 28, 2024. The offense, introduced under the December legislative changes, amid Georgian Dream’s efforts to curb anti-government demonstrations, carries a maximum punishment of 15 days’ detention.

Until now, most such cases had been rescheduled or reclassified as criminal matters, which some saw as judges’ reluctance to impose detention for what critics say is no more than standing on a sidewalk during a protest.

Also Read:

• 20/01/2026 – Public Defender Challenges Protest-Related Restrictions, Penalties in Constitutional Court
• 16/10/2025 – Georgian Dream Adopts Harsher Penalties For Protest Offenses