Official figures recorded 19 crimes motivated by anti-religious bias without differentiation by faith. This number consists of 12 cases of physical assault, four cases of damage to property and three cases of threats.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs proposed amendments to the criminal code, including public incitement to violence as a new substantive offence. The draft is being discussed in the Parliament.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs adopted an instruction improving the responses to hate crimes. The document obliges relevant staff to immediately initiate investigations, to improve data collection mechanisms by indicating bias motive, and to generate statistical data regarding hate crimes. Also, based on the instruction and in compliance with recommendation made by the Public Defender, during 2015, relevant departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are obliged to provide proposals on the establishment of specialized groups to investigate hate crimes.
The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center reported, via the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF), a series of physical assaults carried out by a group against Muslims taking part in a gathering. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center, via the HBF, and the Public Defender's Office of Georgia, via the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reported an incident in which a pig’s head was hung at the entrance of a site planned for a Muslim school.
The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center reported, via the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF), an attack carried out by a group against Jehovah's witnesses during a religious service.
The civil society group Article 42 of the Constitution reported, via the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBF), two incidents of physical assaults: including one against a gay man and two transgender people that caused serious physical injuries to the man; and one separate assault against a transgender woman.
Transgender Europe, the Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group (WISG) via the HBF, Identoba and the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) reported the murder of a transgender woman in her home, which was later set on fire; and a physical assault against a transgender woman.
WISG, via the HBF, reported a further physical assault against a transgender woman, which rendered her unconscious. Identoba reported a further six physical assaults, including five carried out by a group, one of which resulted in serious injury, and all of which were against men; one arson attack against the home of a lesbian woman; one attempted physical assault; and four threats.
Jehovah's Witnesses - Georgia reported: one incident in which a man died from his injuries following a physical assault; six incidents of physical assaults causing serious injury, mostly beatings or stabbings; 24 incidents of physical assaults, six of which involved damage to property and two repeated physical assaults against the same man who was attacked after reporting the first incident to police. Jehovah's Witnesses also reported three attempted physical assaults, 12 threats and 16 incidents of damage to property, two thefts and two robberies.
The Public Defender's Office of Georgia, via the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reported 13 cases of physical violence.
ODIHR observes that Georgia has not reported on hate crimes separately from cases of hate speech and/or discrimination.