Kesaria Abramidze, a renowned trans model and public figure, was murdered in a knife attack at her apartment in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, on the night of Wednesday, September 18.

Investigators are treating the case as premeditated murder with special cruelty based on gender, under Article 108 of the Georgian Criminal Code. This crime, classified as murder under aggravating circumstances, is punishable by 16 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

The suspect, 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, was arrested soon after the incident.

Kesaria Abramidze, 37, had gained significant recognition both in Georgia and internationally, representing her country at Miss Trans Star International in 2018 and amassing over half a million followers on social media. Her death sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond, with many linking the crime to the increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ individuals in Georgia.

Abramidze’s murder occurred shortly after the passage of an anti-LGBTQ+  law by the nation’s Parliament. The new legislation, passed with 84 of 150 lawmakers voting in favour, bans same-sex marriage, adoption by same-sex couples, gender-affirming care, and the depiction of LGBTQ+ identities in the media.

It also provides legal grounds for the government to ban Pride events and the display of the rainbow flag, fueling fears that LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia are being systematically eradicated.

Georgian trans woman Kesaria Abramidze, 37, was found dead in her house in Tbilisi just ONE day after the law ʼagainst LGBT’ was passed.

Pro-russian “Georgian Dream” is literally killing their own people. https://t.co/oUAZ49kMrd pic.twitter.com/U7ZbfaHMI4

— vanya ✙ (@eurovanya) September 18, 2024

Women’s Initiative Supporting Group (WISG), a Georgian LGBTQ+ rights organisation, condemned the murder and the country’s political climate, stating, “The brutal death of a transgender woman is not only a gruesome symbol of such a decision but also a direct consequence of the legalisation of hateful propaganda.”

Georgia’s President, Salome Zurabishvili, who opposes the recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, expressed her outrage over the crime, calling it “a terrible murder” and “a denial of humanity.”

The murder of trans woman Kesaria Abramidze highlights the urgent need for stronger protections for the LGBTQ+ community in Georgia, where a climate of increasing hostility has put many lives at risk. As her friends and followers mourn her loss, activists continue to fight for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals in the face of mounting challenges.