TBILISI, DFWatch – Georgia increases its sentencing of hate crimes.

A new bill to amend the Criminal Code will make it mandatory for courts to use the maximum sentence if the crime was motivated by racial, linguistic, religious, national or ethnic prejudice.

For every crime there is a minimum and maximum sentence defined by legislation. The court sets the sentence within these limits, based on the circumstances in which the crime was committed.

The bill has been prepared by parliamentarians, but not been reviewed yet.