The Georgian Parliament has approved, in the first reading, the reintroduction of the "Treason" clause in the Criminal Code with 83 votes in favor.

The bill adds Article 307¹ to the Criminal Code, which will regulate criminal liability for treason. According to this provision, treason will be defined as acts committed by a Georgian citizen or a stateless person with legal status in Georgia, including: Violating Georgia’s territorial integrity Concluding or negotiating an unconstitutional agreement; Undermining Georgia’s foreign security; Joining a foreign intelligence service; Weakening Georgia’s defense capabilities; Disclosing state secrets; Espionage; Conspiracy or rebellion to overthrow Georgia’s constitutional order by force; Sabotage; Assisting a foreign country, foreign organization, or organization under foreign control in hostile activities.

Notably, all these acts listed under "Treason" are already punishable under other articles of the Criminal Code.

One of the bill's authors and initiators, the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Rati Ionatamishvili, stated that the wording of "Treason" in the bill is in exact alignment with the definition introduced into Georgian legislation in 1991 by the country’s first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia.

The bill's authors and initiators are members of the Georgian Dream faction and the political group People's Power.