We are deeply saddened and outraged by the tragic murder of Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent Georgian transgender women, who was brutally killed, just one day after the passage of the repressive anti-LGBT law by the Georgian parliament. The suspect, who was known to the victim, was arrested shortly after the crime.
The horrific circumstances of her death, reportedly carried out with extreme cruelty and driven by gender-based hatred, are a stark reminder of the escalating violence faced by the LGBT+ community in Georgia.
This heartbreaking crime follows a pattern of violence against transgender individuals in Georgia, with Sabi Beriani murdered in 2014, Bianca Shigurova in 2015, and Zizi Shekelidze in 2016. These killings underscore the grave risks LGBT+ people face, now worsened by newly legalized hate.
We urge President Salome Zurabishvili, who has vocally opposed this unjust law, to take decisive action by vetoing the legislation.
We further call on the international community to take a strong stand against these human rights violations by sanctioning Georgian leaders responsible for fueling this climate of hatred.
Additionally, we appeal to global organizations to continue supporting Georgia’s civil society in its fight for equality, especially with the upcoming elections on the horizon.
Our thoughts are with the friends, family, and loved ones of Kesaria Abramidze, and with the entire Georgian LGBT+ community. Let her memory, alongside those of Sabi Beriani, Bianca Shigurova, and Zizi Shekelidze, be a powerful call for justice and the relentless fight for equality.
