Georgia plans tougher penalties for protesters amid political crisis
Photo: Reuters
The Georgian government is pushing forward with a legislative package that would increase penalties for protest-related offences - in some cases to many years in prison - as the South Caucasus country grapples with a protracted political crisis, News.az reports citing Reuters.
Georgians have been rallying nightly since November, when the ruling Georgian Dream party, now in its fourth term in power, said it was suspending European Union accession talks until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal.
The demonstrations have drawn a swift crackdown by police, resulting in hundreds of arrests and beatings, rights groups say. The government has defended the police actions, suggesting shadowy forces have been trying to orchestrate unrest and overthrow the authorities.
The proposed amendments will increase the length of jail sentences for minor administrative offences from 15 to 60 days, and boost fines and detention periods for petty hooliganism, insulting the police and other infractions.
Resisting, threatening and using violence against police officers would incur a prison sentence of five to 10 years.
Announcing the plans on Monday, Mamuka Mdinaradze, a senior Georgian Dream lawmaker, said the government was responding to attempts by "external forces... to destroy and weaken the state and its institutions".
He did not explicitly identify the "external forces" but suggested the U.S. embassy was encouraging the protesters.
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