About Civil.ge
Eng | Geo | Rus
Last updated: 10:55 - 1 May.'18
RSS
Mobile
Twitter
Facebook
Bill Criminalizes Involvement with ‘Illegal Armed Groups’ Abroad
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 24 Jan.'15 / 16:28

A package of legislative amendments has been submitted to the Parliament this week criminalizing participation in and broad range of other activities related to illegal armed groups abroad, as well as “traveling abroad for the purpose of terrorism.”

Amendments are part of a broader package of bills, drafted by the Interior Ministry, which also involves a proposal to criminalize “calls, inciting strife.”

According to the bill, “joining and/or participation in an illegal formation operating on the territory of a foreign country or receiving training from such formation; recruiting or training a person with the purpose of joining, participating or otherwise promoting the activities of such illegal formation; gathering of persons and/or dissemination or use of materials and/or symbols related to membership and/or participation in illegal formation” will be punishable with imprisonment from 5 to 10 years.

The bill also criminalizes calling for committing these offenses, listed in the clause, making it punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment.

The bill, if approved, will introduce a new clause, which will make it punishable by 6 years to 9 years imprisonment “traveling abroad for the purpose of carrying out, preparing of terrorist activities or for the purpose of participating in a terrorist activity as well as in a terrorist training”. Recruiting persons for carrying out terrorism or “supporting” terrorist activity will also be criminalized with the proposed legislative amendments.

An explanatory note of the bill says that the amendments aim at preventing participation of Georgian citizens in illegal armed groups abroad, which the document describes as “one of the main challenges to the country’s security and stability.”

The idea of such legislation was first floated last year after it emerged that several dozen of Georgian citizens, mainly from Pankisi gorge in northeastern part of the country, were fighting for the Islamic State in Syria.

The bill also envisages introduction of a new clause in the criminal code, which will make it punishable by 8 years to 14 years imprisonment funding of activities with “prior intent” to undermine country’s security and constitutional order.

Georgia tightened counter-terrorism legislation in November, 2013, when the chapter devoted to terrorism-related crimes was largely amended to criminalize terrorism-related offenses to a greater extent; the definition of a terrorist act was broadened and the threat of terrorism was criminalized.

Latest News
01 May.'18 10:55
We Have Moved to a New Platform
Direct Your Bookmarks to https://civil.ge.
29 Apr.'18 03:54
Ruling Party Candidate Wins MP By-Elections
Givi Chichinadze will represent Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency in the Parliament of Georgia.
28 Apr.'18 09:40
Polls Open for Vani and Khoni MP By-Elections
48,123 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in Vani and Khoni single-mandate constituency.
27 Apr.'18 17:23
State Dept’s Europe Affairs Point Man to Visit Tbilisi
Wess Mitchell will meet senior government officials and address the NATO-Georgia Public Diplomacy Forum.
27 Apr.'18 13:45
In Quotes: Georgian Politicians on Ex-PM Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Comeback
Bidzina Ivanishvili will be approved as the Georgian Dream party chairman at the upcoming convention.
26 Apr.'18 18:15
SG Jens Stoltenberg: Georgia NATO’s ‘Very Close’ Partner
The NATO Secretary General says Foreign Ministers meeting tomorrow will recognize the country’s progress.
26 Apr.'18 14:24
Ex-PM Ivanishvili to Chair Georgian Dream Party
Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Ivanishvili was ‘best equipped’ to add new dynamism to the party.
26 Apr.'18 11:12
Lawmaker Proposes Criminal Liability for ‘Insult of Religious Feelings’
The parliamentary human rights committee decided to set up a working group for scrutinizing the draft law.
25 Apr.'18 17:21
New Abkhaz Government Head Appointed
Gennady Gagulia has served as the Abkhaz “prime minister” twice - in 1995-1997, and 2002-2003.
25 Apr.'18 14:43
Watchdog Improves Georgia’s Press Freedom Ranking
None of the countries of the former Soviet Union (except the Baltics) are ranked ahead of Georgia.

About Civil Georgia
Civil.Ge © 2001-2024, Daily News Online
Registered office: 2 Dolidze Str, 4-th Floor.
11