The November Amnesty: A humane act or a legalization of land grabbing?

On November 15, 2023, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the Law of Georgia on Amnesty, which had been proposed by the Prime Minister two months earlier. This legislation shields individuals from legal consequences if they wrongfully claimed ownership of agricultural land that was formerly public property. However, those seeking amnesty must either reimburse the state for damages, renounce their claims to the land, or provide compensation.

“The amnesty mechanism outlined in the November law formalises and legitimises the state’s practice of seizing agricultural land from its citizens”, – says Kety Gujaraidze, policy analyst at Green Alternative, the author of the policy brief The November Amnesty: A humane act or a legalization of land grabbing?

The policy brief lists disputes on land rights that have three things in common: (1) disputed land is located within or in close proximity to proposed development projects; (2) residents have officially registered ownership rights to the lands in question; (3) the Prosecutor’s Office accuses them of illegally claiming land and raises the possibility of criminal prosecution.

Considering practice of seizing property established by previous, the United National Movement’s government and character of current disputes on land rights, the author assumes that the government criminalises owners of agricultural land to deflect criticism of ongoing investment projects, suppress their legitimate demands and easily grab land to serve other interests.

See policy brief

The policy brief was originally published on 31 January 2024 by Heinrich Boell Foundation Tbilisi Office – South Caucasus Region.