Georgia’s Court of Appeals has upheld a life sentence for Beka Jaiani, convicted of the brutal murder of Kesaria Abramidze.Rruling emphasized the legal system’s stance on gender-based violence.
The decision confirms the verdict delivered by Tbilisi City Court on April 16, 2025 which found Jaiani guilty of committing murder with exceptional cruelty, motivated by intolerance based on gender and gender identity.
The crime occurred on September 18, 2024, in the Didi Dighomi district of Tbilisi. Prosecutors said Jaiani attacked Abramidze with a knife, inflicting multiple injuries that led to her death. Evidence presented in court also revealed a pattern of systematic physical abuse by Jaiani, motivated by hatred toward Abramidze’s gender identity which caused her ongoing physical and psychological suffering.
Jaiani was charged under Article 109 (subparagraphs ‘t’ and ‘m’) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, covering aggravated murder committed with particular cruelty and due to gender-related motives, as well as Article 126 (subsection 2) for repeated domestic violence resulting in severe suffering. These charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
In a statement, the Prosecutor’s Office welcomed the appeals court’s decision to leave the initial ruling unchanged, declaring it as a reaffirmation of justice in a case that had drawn national attention due to its brutality and transphobic motive.
