Citizens who, prior to September 1, 2023, illegally obtained ownership of state-owned agricultural land lots will be exempt from suspended sentencing and punishment, including enforcement of fines. Such a statement made today the Prime Minister of Georgia.

“As you know, the following problem has accumulated over the years. Many of our citizens illegally registered state-owned agricultural land lots, and it has been truly a major problem. Tens of cases have been filed by the Prosecutor’s Office. We held consultations with the Prosecutor’s Office, and I propose an initiative to declare an amnesty on such cases.

The amnesty will apply to the offences defined in Articles 180 and 362 of the Criminal Code. Under the amnesty, citizens who, prior to September 1, 2023, illegally obtained ownership of state-owned agricultural land lots will be exempt from suspended sentencing and punishment, including enforcement of fines.

At the same time, the amnesty will only apply to those who, until September 1, 2024, will compensate in full the damage caused by their offences to the state. I also want to explain that the amnesty will not apply to cases of abuse of authority committed by public servants and employees of state enterprises, legal entities of public law, and non-entrepreneurial legal entities, also to cases of organized crime. The damage to the state must be compensated for agricultural land lots free from any burden of ownership rights, through giving up rights to such land lots in favor of the state; should the foregoing be impossible, it must be done by means of paying an amount equaling the value of the given land lot. We have finalized this bill, and we will refer it to the Parliament. This amnesty will liberate many of our citizens from the relevant burden. This has caused many misunderstandings. It will apply to those who will return such land lots, and if they do not return them, they should pay their value, and this is how this matter will be resolved”, - said Irakli Garibashvili.