Kesaria Abramidze, a renowned transgender actress and influencer, was tragically stabbed to death in her home in Tbilisi, Georgia, just a day after the country passed a controversial anti-LGBT law. The 37-year-old model, who had gained prominence after representing Georgia at Miss Trans Star International in 2018, was found with over 50 stab wounds, sparking national outrage and renewed debate on the treatment of the LGBTQ+ community in Georgia.
The attack took place shortly after Georgia’s parliament passed a law banning LGBT “propaganda” and limiting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Abramidze’s death marks the third high-profile murder of a transgender woman in recent years in the country.
Authorities have detained 26-year-old Beka Jaiani, a man reportedly known to the victim. He was arrested at the Tbilisi airport while attempting to flee the country. CCTV footage allegedly shows Jaiani waiting near the victim’s apartment lift before fleeing the scene.
President Salome Zurabishvili, a vocal critic of the newly enacted anti-LGBT laws, condemned the murder, calling it “a terrible denial of humanity.” She urged for societal change, stating, “Hopefully, the killing of this beautiful young woman will at least serve to make us more humane and Christian.”
Abramidze was a beloved public figure in Georgia with over half a million online followers and had undergone gender-affirming surgery in 2014. Her brutal murder has reignited concerns about the safety and rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the region.