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37-year-old Kesaria Abramidze was murdered in her home Wednesday night, just one day after the Georgia Parliament passed a law restricting LGBTQ+ rights.
After a transgender woman was brutally murdered Wednesday in her home, Georgia authorities say they have detained a suspect.
Kesaria Abramidze, 37, was found dead with multiple stab wounds at her home in the Didi Digomi district of Tbilisi. Beka Djaiani, 26, was arrested Thursday morning after a swift investigation by law enforcement revealed he was at Abramidze's building around the time of her murder, according to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs via local outlet Jam News.
Authorities suspect that Abramidze's killer was her friend, and that he murdered her after an argument between the two before fleeing the scene. Surveillance footage shows Djaiani waiting for the elevator in Abramidze's building, and running down the stairs about 15 minutes later. Law enforcement has also obtained the knife they suspect was used in the killing.
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani said in a statement via the outlet: "This horrifying murder is yet another proof that law enforcement agencies and the public are not aware of crimes committed on the grounds of hatred and gender identity. The response must be particularly strict. I hope that the perpetrator will be punished swiftly and severely."
Abramidze's murder comes just one day after the Georgia Parliament passed the so-called "On the Protection of Family Values and Minors" law, which includes restrictions on education, public discussion, and gatherings related to sexual orientation and gender identity. It also restricts access to medical services, including gender-affirming care, and the option to update gender identity on official identification documents.
The law has been condemned by the United Nations, with Human Rights Office spokesperson Liz Throssell saying the organization is "are deeply concerned that this law may encourage hate speech, lead to more incidents of violence, and reinforce stigma, intolerance and misinformation."
Chairman of the Bundestag's Committee on International Relations, Michael Roth, directly connected Abramidze's murder to the anti-LGBTQ+ law, stating on Twitter/X that "those who sow hatred will reap violence."
"Kesaria Abramidze was killed. Just one day after the Georgian parliament passed the anti-LGBTI law," he wrote. "I am deeply shocked and call on the ruling party 'Georgian Nightmare' to immediately withdraw the shameful law."
