Amendments to Be Introduced to the Law on Occupied Territories

Government of Georgia approved new bill with regard to the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories at today’s session. Afterwards, the State Minister for Reintegration Issues Paata Zakareishvili told journalists that some positions shall be revised in the acting edition of the law. 

“The government has approved the bill, which will be forwarded to the parliament for discussion; it is about traveling to the occupied territories. Namely, if a person, breaching the traveling rule in the occupied territory, was punished under criminal law, our bill introduces a new norm which will impose administrative sanction on the violator for the first time. A fine will be used as a sanction against the offender and he/she will be charged under criminal law only after he/she repeatedly enters the occupied territories illegally,” said Zakareishvili.

The minister believes it is not correct to impose criminal liability on the person if he/she breaches the traveling rules for the first time because citizens of different countries were placed in Georgian prisons on that ground.

Interpresnews