Aggravating Circumstance to Apply to Crimes Committed on Racial, Sexual or Political Motives

Punishment for any crimes committed on racial, sexual and political grounds has been aggravated. The Parliament approved relevant amendments to the Criminal Code of Georgia with its third and final reading.

The parliament decided that any offense motivated by race, colour, language, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, political and other views, disability, citizenship, national origin, ethnicity, social identity, origin, property and other status, place of residence or other discriminatory grounds and intolerance will be aggravating circumstance to any criminal crime.

The list of aggravating circumstances was increased during draft-law discussion. The initial version of the bill listed only racial, language, religious, national or ethnic intolerance.

Considering the remarks of the NGO sector, the parliament decided to make the list compliant with the Constitution of Georgia and to make it longer.

Interpersnews