Georgian Parliament is advancing legislation that would prevent individuals convicted of financial crimes from leaving the country until they have fully compensated their victims or obtained their written consent.
The Committee on Legal Affairs has approved the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code in its first reading. The initiative, part of the government’s broader effort to strengthen accountability for financial misconduct, removes judicial discretion in imposing travel bans on offenders.
Tornike Cheishvili, First Deputy Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, stated that the restriction will apply when three conditions are met:
- The offender is found guilty of crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, extortion, property damage, concealment of property, abuse of authority or negligence;
- The convicted person is a Georgian citizen or a stateless resident;
- The victim has not provided written consent for the offender to leave the country.
Once a conviction is finalized, the National Bureau of Enforcement will notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Non-Custodial Sentences, and Probation which will enforce the ban through electronic monitoring systems.
Previously, travel restrictions could be applied at a judge’s discretion and were limited to a period of up to 16 years.
