What the Sabotage Article Covers
Article 318 of the Criminal Code of Georgia — which the legislator calls sabotage and which is often discussed alongside diversion — protects the security of the state and society. The mandatory sign of every composition of this article is the aim: the act must be committed with the aim of weakening Georgia. It is precisely this purpose that distinguishes prosecution under this article from the norms on damage to property or other general crimes: the same physical act, committed with a different aim, receives an entirely different qualification.
Charges under this article are rare but particularly grave: the penalty starts with imprisonment from two to four years and in the most serious composition reaches twenty years, with the possibility of life imprisonment clearly present. In such cases the lawyer’s role is especially important, because the prosecution often rests on versions and expert conclusions that demand independent verification.