Transgender model and public figure Kesaria Abramidze was confirmed dead on Wednesday.
The model was killed at her apartment in Didi Dighomi just one day after Georgian Parliament adopted the bill ‘On Family Values and Protection of Minors’ in its third reading with 84 votes.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the murder suspect was arrested after a hot pursuit. Beka Jaiani, born in 1998, was arrested on charges of premeditated murder committed under aggravating circumstances based on gender. The crime is punishable by 16 to 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of German Bundestag, Michael Roth, responded to the news with condemnation: “Those who sow hatred will reap violence. Kesaria Abramidze was killed just one day after the Georgian parliament passed the anti-LGBTI law. I am deeply shocked and call on the ruling party ‘Georgian Nightmare’ to immediately withdraw the shameful law.”
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili also took to social media to express her sorrow.
“A terrible murder—a denial of humanity! If only this could awaken our society, which is mired in hatred; hatred that allows the enemy to manipulate and weaken us. The death of this beautiful young woman should be humanizing and Christianizing us. Let this tragedy lead to meaningful change,” the President wrote.
The bill ‘On Family Values and Protection of Minors’ was presented by Rati Ionatamishvili, chair of the Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration Committee, who claimed that the initiative “aligns with the values that Georgian society demands.”
The newly adopted law addresses several areas, including marriage, adoption, foster care, medical procedures that alter a person’s biological sex, the designation of gender in official documents, and education. It also regulates issues related to public demonstrations and labor relations. Additionally, the legislative package introduces enforcement mechanisms to ensure the law’s proper implementation and establishes May 17 as a day dedicated to “the sanctity of the family and respect for parents.”
The law defines marriage as a voluntary union between two individuals of different biological sexes to create a family. It prohibits the recognition or registration of any other type of union as marriage under Georgian law.
Beka Davituliani, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, emphasized the importance of balancing the protection of LGBT rights with measures to shield minors from what he termed “propaganda.”
“The measures include restricting access to television productions that children should not have access to at an early age. This is the task of this law. This is to protect our future generation while not infringing on anyone’s rights,” he said.
EU Condemnation
At the beginning of September, the EU criticized the Georgian Parliament’s swift adoption of the “family values and protection of minors” legislative package, condemning it as rushed and detrimental to fundamental rights.
EU Lead Spokesperson Peter Stano stated at the time that the package risks further stigmatization and discrimination while lacking public consultation and adherence to European standards. He urged Georgian authorities to reconsider the legislation, emphasizing that it could strain EU-Georgia relations and halt the country’s EU accession process.
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security, Josep Borrell, also responded to the adoption of the law this week, calling on Georgia to recall it.
“The Parliament of Georgia has passed this law which will undermine people’s fundamental rights and increase discrimination and stigmatization. I call on Georgia to withdraw this law, which takes the country further away from the road to the European Union,” he wrote.
British Embassy: The law undermines fundamental human rights
“The legislative package on “family values and protection of minors” undermines fundamental human rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly, and creates the risk of further stigmatization and discrimination of part of the Georgian population,” the British Embassy in Georgia wrote in a statement, expressing its regret that the legislative package was adopted “in disregard of the advice of the Venice Commission that it should be completely revised and its adoption should be suspended.”
“We call on the Georgian authorities to review the legislative package ‘On Family Values and Protection of Minors,’ which, together with the “Transparency of Foreign Influence” law, restricts the rights of both civil society and individual Georgian citizens, and calls into question the long-standing relations between Britain and Georgia”, the statement reads.
Michael Roth: Anti-LGBTQ law is an obstacle on Georgia’s EU path
Michael Roth criticized the adoption of the law ‘On Family Values and Protection of Minors’ via X.
“Georgia has a proud history of diversity and respect for minorities,” he wrote. “This legacy is why Georgia belongs in the EU. The anti-LGBTQ law and hatred against sexual minorities are an obstacle on Georgia’s path to the EU. It must be stopped. Thanks to all brave human rights defenders and activists.”
He added in a separate post on Thursday morning: “A message to all my friends in Georgia who are sad, shocked and angry. Please never forget: When they go low, we go high. October 26 is the opportunity to put an end to this horror peacefully and democratically.”
By Team GT
