“The Constitution is not only a guarantee of the state’s sovereignty, but also one of the most important guardians of its national democracy, which requires protection from the state,” stated MP Rati Ionatamishvili, Chairman of the Human Rights Protection Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, to GPB First Channel.

Ionatamishvili was asked to comment on statements by members of Georgian Dream, suggesting that, subject to Parliament’s approval, criminal liability could be imposed on individuals who do not recognise the legitimacy of constitutional bodies and openly incite such conduct.

According to Ionatamishvili, “when certain individuals and organisations grossly violate and insult the country’s Constitution in what has a campaign-like character, it is appropriate that certain obligations also arise”.

“Whoever purposefully and deliberately undermines the Constitution is attempting to undermine the country’s sovereignty and democratic principles,” Rati Ionatamishvili stated.

For reference, yesterday the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, also commented to the media on this issue, noting: “We are regulating all those issues which we observe are becoming problematic for our society, for the constitutional order and for public safety. The idea is to give a proper name to extremism and extremist approaches. In this regard, we have the example of Germany, where the situation is practically identical. In the modern world, extremism is a challenge for every country; we too must consider how this can be regulated.”