Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent Georgian transgender model, was found murdered in her Tbilisi apartment, just one day after Georgian lawmakers passed a law widely seen as anti-LGBTQ+. A 26-year-old man believed to be Abramidze’s boyfriend has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.

Trigger warning: transphobia, hate crime, murder –  Georgia’s interior ministry said that Abramidze was believed to have been stabbed to death in her apartment in suburban Tbilisi on September 18, The Guardian reported on September 19.

Abramidze’s former partner, 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder, OC Media reported on September 23.

Prior to his arrest, Jaiani was shown on CCTV footage, which had filmed him fleeing Abramidze’s building 15 minutes after his arrival, Politico reported on September 19.

Kesaria Abramidze, a prominent Georgian transgender model, was found murdered in her Tbilisi apartment

Image credits: Sheldon Kennedy/Unsplash

Jaiani reportedly stabbed Abramidze 28 times with a knife in her flat. He was apprehended a day later and went on to deny the charges through his lawyer. 

The local prosecutor’s office has stated that Jaiani had admitted to being allowed into Abramidze’s apartment on 18 September, the day of the murder, after agreeing to her posting photos of the two on social media, as per OC Media.

Communications shared by Abramidze’s friend reportedly suggested that Jaiani was opposed to making their relationship public, but that he also refused to accept that they broke up.

Image credits: kesaria_official

Jaiani was consequently charged with premeditated murder with particular cruelty “based on gender.” If convicted, he could face up to 16 years or life imprisonment, according to OC Media.

“Like most murders of trans women around the world, she knew her murderer, he was her boyfriend, Beka Jaiani,” the international pageant for transgender women Miss Trans Global wrote on its official Facebook page on September 20.

In April, Abramidze reportedly shared her personal experience of domestic violence at the hands of Jaiani, according to the pageant organization.

She was murdered just one day after Georgian lawmakers passed a law widely seen as anti-LGBTQ+

Image credits: kesaria_official

At the time, Abramidze had revealed that she had left her country to escape the abusive relationship and that she was physically and psychologically harmed by him.

In a previous post on social media, the late model wrote: “I would also like to thank my next-door neighbor who saved me when he attacked me at home, otherwise I might not be alive today. 

“About a month ago, he gave me a concussion himself and took me to Ghudushauri, which is documented in this clinic.”

Image credits: kesaria_official/Formula News

“I’m writing this post to be an example for other women and so that you don’t waste years with a manipulative, narcissistic abuser!” 

Approximately 22.5% of trans women, 22.4% of non-binary women, and 19.2% of trans men reported sexual abuse in 2023, The Hotline recently reported, which is higher than the average of 14.2% of LGBTQ+ survivors.

Moreover, a 2020 study found that transgender individuals face significantly higher rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) than cisgender individuals.

A 26-year-old man believed to be Abramidze’s boyfriend has been arrested on suspicion of her murder

Image credits: InterpressNews.ge

One in six transgender people experienced physical IPV and one in 10 experienced sexual IPV in 2019. 

Transgender people are over twice as likely to suffer physical or sexual IPV, which is linked to poorer mental and sexual health, and increased substance abuse. 

Abramidze, who lost her life at the age of 37, was one of Georgia’s first openly trans public figures. 

Image credits: temidainsta

Her death follows controversial legislation on “family values and the protection of minors” that will allow officials to outlaw Pride events and censor films and books in Georgia, The Guardian reported.

The law, which was approved by the Georgian parliament on September 17, just a day before Abramidze’s murder, in its third and final reading, includes bans on same-sex marriages and gender-affirming treatments. 

It is reportedly expected to be another point of contention between Georgia and the European Union as the country seeks to join the bloc.

Abramidze’s former partner, 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder

 

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Critics have reportedly argued that the bill, initially introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party in the summer, mirrors laws enacted in neighboring Russia, where authorities have implemented a series of repressive anti-LGBTQ+ measures over the past decade.

Under the Georgian Dream party, which has taken an increasingly anti-liberal stance, the country has seen a rise in violence against LGBTQ+ people, according to The Guardian.

The Georgian Dream party is the ruling political party in Georgia, founded in 2012 by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

Image credits: kesaria_official

Since coming to power, the Georgian Dream party has held significant influence over the government, including a parliamentary majority, which allows it to pass laws and shape policy. 

Following Abramidze, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili attended the funeral of the popular trans media personality.

“Horrifying murder! Rejection of humanity! This should be a sobering call … Hatred drenched in hatred, which weakens and divides us and gives a hand to an enemy to manipulate us,” Zourabichvili wrote on her personal Facebook page.

Her death follows Georgia’s controversial legislation on “family values and the protection of minors”

 

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She added: “I hope the death of this beautiful young woman will make us more humane, more Christian. I hope this tragedy will not be in vain.”

Abramidze was laid to rest at a ceremony in Tbilisi on September 23, OC Media reported. The Georgian Orthodox Church refused to provide burial services for Abramidze due to her transgender identity.

Abramidze was a widely recognized and outspoken figure who was perhaps the most prominent personality from Georgia’s queer community, as per OC Media. 

She came to prominence in the Georgian media over a decade ago.

Abramidze’s murder sparked outrage on social media

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