The Legal Committee of the Parliament of Georgia has supported an initiative of the Women’s Movement non-governmental organisation (NGO), which demands the prohibition of femicide or providing tougher punishment for those convicted of gender-based hate crimes.
The committee’s approval means that the parliament will launch discussions over the initiative and it might be reflected in the law.
The initiative by the NGO appeals to several state structures over gender-based hate crimes:
- To the parliament of Georgia- to prohibit femicide or declare gender-based murder as an aggravated circumstance, envisaging imprisonment of 13-20 years.
- To the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia- to address a judge to consider that the crime was gender-based, until the changes come into play.
- To the Interior Ministry of Georgia- for the body to elaborate a mechanism for the evaluation of femicide risks and take all measures to prevent such crimes.
- To the president of Georgia-not to pardon convicts sentenced for femicide and other gender-based hate crimes.