**Georgian Government Introduces New Laws to Increase Penalties for Disrupting Public Order**
The ruling Georgian Dream party has announced changes to the country’s laws that will increase penalties for several administrative and criminal offenses. These changes aim to punish individuals who disrupt public order, including those who insult officials or assault police.
According to the new laws, threatening to attack or use violence against civic servants will become a criminal offense. Public calls for violence, which were previously punished with financial sanctions, will now be punishable by imprisonment for up to three years.
The changes are part of the Georgian Dream‘s efforts to “serve the citizens” and maintain public order. The party claims that these measures are necessary to counter the actions of the “Deep State,” a term used to refer to unnamed groups or individuals who allegedly seek to undermine the government.
**Specific Changes**
Some of the specific changes to the laws include:
* Indoor rallies without prior consent from building owners will be prohibited
* Penalties for various administrative offenses, such as petty hooliganism and disobeying police officers, will be increased
* The period of administrative detention has been increased from 15 to 60 days
* Insulting public officials in connection with their work will become a new administrative offense
* Public calls for violence will now carry a prison sentence of up to three years
**New Criminal Code**
The Georgian Dream’s parliamentary leader, Mamuka Mdinaradze, has announced plans to introduce a new criminal code that will make threatening attack or violence against political authority, state authority, and public officials a crime.
These changes come as the country continues to face pro-EU protests against the government’s decision to abandon the EU path. Dozens of people have been arrested during these protests, which have entered their 68th consecutive day.
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