The Parliament of Georgia has adopted amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code in the third reading, with 78 votes in favor. Under the new provisions, individuals convicted of certain financial and economic crimes will be prohibited from leaving the country until they fully compensate for the damage caused.

The amendments were presented to lawmakers by Tornike Cheishvili, First Deputy Chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee.

According to the bill, the travel restriction will not be imposed based solely on a guilty verdict but will be applied automatically under the relevant legislative provision once specific conditions are met. These conditions include:

1. The convicted person must be found guilty of crimes listed under specific articles of the Criminal Code — including fraud, extortion, embezzlement, property damage or destruction, concealment of assets, abuse of authority, and negligence, among others.
2. The individual must be a Georgian citizen or a stateless person with legal status in Georgia.
3. The victim must not have provided written consent to lift the travel restriction intended to secure compensation.

Cheishvili noted that a joint order of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia will determine the detailed procedure for enforcing the travel ban.