Supporters of Georgia's European integration took to the parliament floor for the 512th consecutive day.

On the 512th day of continuous protests, participants in the Rustaveli Avenue rally demanded the release of political prisoners and the purchase of medications for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot", on April 22, the 511th day of continuous protests, participants in the daily rally on Rustaveli Avenue organized a march from parliament to the chancery building in support of children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The day before, activists supported the demand of parents who are seeking the purchase of modern medications for patients.

Supporters of Georgia's European integration gathered this evening on the pedestrian section of Rustaveli Avenue near the parliament building for the 512th consecutive day.

Activists, carrying national and EU flags, held signs reading: "Medicine for Children," "Freedom for Prisoners of the Regime," "Children's Lives Are Most Valuable," "Act, Time Waits for No One," "Leave," "Healthcare is a Right, Not a Privilege," and "One's Injustice is Everyone's Responsibility," according to a Facebook post by photographer Mo Se and Georgian media*.

Judging by the published photos from the event, at least 50 people participated in the gathering.

Poet and translator Zviad Ratiani, who is serving a sentence in Gldani Prison for participating in pro-European protests, has had his detention regime tightened, Publika reported today.

"The Penitentiary Administration notified me in writing that I, as a 'high-risk convict,' have been transferred from semi-open to closed detention," reads a letter sent by Ratiani from prison.

The so-called closed regime implies confinement "within four walls" and a minimum number of visits, both long and short. "I have been serving my sentence in closed confinement since the very first day of my arrest. Moreover, I have been in solitary confinement for six months now. I want to clarify that this was my own wish. I have never expressed a desire to move to an open space and interact with other prisoners," Ratiani wrote in the letter.

He expressed bewilderment at being declared a "high-risk prisoner." According to Ratiani, he "never had any conflicts or even the slightest misunderstandings with prison staff."

Zviad Ratiani participated in the protests outside the Georgian parliament from their 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's story is quoted in the article "JAMnews: Stories of Protesters Beaten in Tbilisi."

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces carried out violent dispersals of the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protesters in Georgia".