The Parliament has reviewed and approved the amendments to the Criminal Code in the first reading.

According to the draft law, Article 307¹ will be added to the Criminal Code, regulating criminal liability for treason.

Under this new provision, treason will be defined as acts committed by a Georgian citizen or a stateless person with legal status in Georgia, including:

Violation of Georgia’s territorial integrity; Conclusion or negotiation of unconstitutional agreements; Undermining Georgia’s external security; Joining a foreign intelligence service; Compromising Georgia’s defense capabilities; Disclosure of state secrets; Espionage; Conspiracy or rebellion aimed at forcibly changing Georgia’s constitutional order; Sabotage; Assisting a foreign country, foreign organization, or entity under foreign control in hostile activities against Georgia.

Rati Ionatamishvili, one of the bill's initiators, emphasized that treason is the most severe crime, and the state must adopt measures that ensure the strongest possible safeguards for the country’s sovereignty.

"The provision being added to the Criminal Code consists of just one paragraph, but its significance is far greater for our nation. It aligns with the spirit of our past heroes, who placed loyalty to their homeland above their own lives. It also meets the needs of future generations, as protecting the state from treason is a duty for each and every one of us", - R. Ionatamishvili stated.

He further noted that the article on treason was removed from the Criminal Code in 2007 during the administration of Mikheil Saakashvili.

According to R. Ionatamishvili, the definition of "treason" in this draft law corresponds to the wording introduced in legislation in 1991 by Georgia’s first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia.