The Georgian Parliament adopted on November 9 a draft law on organized crime and racketeering on its first hearing with a 92 to 4 vote. The draft law envisages the confiscation of property which was acquired through racketeering.

The draft law defines the terms “thief in law” and "thieves’ world." The latter, according to the draft, is a group of persons who acts in accordance with special criminal rules and aim at gaining profit through intimidation, threats and crime. The "thieves’ world" is led by a “thief in law,” who is a criminal boss, or a criminal authority.

According to the draft law, members of the "thieves’ world," as well as “thieves in law” will be subject to punishment regardless of whether these people have committed any particular crimes or not; while the property acquired by them will be confiscated and transferred to the state. 

“This is a political act, through which the state declares war on the criminal world,” Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Legal Issues Levan Bezhashvili said.

But opposition parliamentarians say that the draft is rather obscure and a number of important provisions need to be clarified.