Just one day after Georgia’s Parliament passed a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ+ law, Kesaria Abramidze, a 37-year-old influencer, actress and model known for her activism and open discussions about her transgender identity, was tragically murdered in her home.
The heartbreaking incident occurred just one day after Georgia’s Parliament passed a highly controversial law against promoting homosexual relations.
According to reports, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that Abramidze had died from multiple stab wounds. Her boyfriend has been arrested as the primary suspect in the case.
Authorities are investigating the murder as an intentional act, describing it as committed with “particular cruelty and under aggravating circumstances based on gender.”
Abramidze’s death closely followed the passage of a new law by Georgia’s parliament, which bans the “propaganda of homosexual relations and incest” in schools and on television. The law also places restrictions on rallies and demonstrations.
Human rights groups have strongly criticised the legislation, particularly for its comparison of same-sex relationships with incest. Both the European Union and the United States have condemned the law, labelling it as repressive.
Georgia’s President, Salome Zurabishvili, a pro-Western figure and outspoken critic of the ruling “Georgian Dream” party, described Abramidze’s murder as a wake-up call for Georgian society. While the law has not yet been signed into effect, it has already provoked widespread backlash. The European Union is calling for its immediate repeal.
Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Iraklii Kobakhidze has warned that Georgia may reconsider its diplomatic ties with the U.S. if sanctions are imposed in response to the new legislation.
