The Georgian Dream faction has initiated a balanced amnesty project. This project is based on the principles of humanitarianism and aims to find a fair balance between these principles and the interests of public safety. The relevant statement Rati Ionatamishvili, Chairman of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament, made at today’s briefing.

As he said, the amnesty will apply to a range of crimes committed before July 1, 2024, specifically those outlined in 66 articles of the Georgian Criminal Code. Additionally, beyond these 66 articles, sentences will be reduced by one-sixth for approximately 225 more articles.

“The draft establishes the following forms of amnesty: full exemption from responsibility and punishment; a 50% reduction in sentences; a 25% reduction in sentences; a one-sixth reduction in sentences; and a one-year reduction of conditional sentences for probationers. Notably, the document introduces the one-sixth reduction rule, which maximizes the number of amnesty beneficiaries while respecting the principles of humanitarianism and protecting the interests of victims”, - the speaker noted.

Ionatamishvili noted that the amnesty will not apply to individuals convicted of murder, drug trafficking, sexual offenses, robbery, terrorism, corruption and official crimes, criminal underworld activities, conventional crimes, and other serious and particularly serious crimes.

He also mentioned that the amnesty introduces a special approach towards probationers, with a one-year reduction in conditional sentences affecting approximately 7,000 individuals, which is a new aspect compared to previous amnesty projects.

“As for the timeline for passing the law, it is planned to be adopted during the extraordinary session in the first reading. It should be noted that our goal is for the process to be inclusive and transparent. Accordingly, work on the draft law will continue during the autumn session, and if there are well-founded remarks, we are ready to incorporate minor changes during committee hearings. Finally, I would like to extend special thanks to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, and other state agencies, whose active involvement helped develop this balanced amnesty project”, - explained Rati Ionatamishvili.