---
title: "'Thief in Law' Membership"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/thief-in-law-membership-en"
field: "Criminal Law"
description: "'Thieves' world' membership and 'thief in law' status: composition, sanctions and exemption under the Georgian Criminal Code. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-19"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# 'Thief in Law' Membership

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/thief-in-law-membership-en

## 'Thieves' World' Membership and 'Thief in Law' Status — What the Charge Means

Article 223-1 of the Georgian Criminal Code establishes, as a standalone offence, membership of the 'thieves' world' and the status of 'lawful thief' — statuses formed in the criminal subculture of the post-Soviet space. These norms entered the Code as part of a special package of amendments directed against the thieves' world. This page explains both compositions, their sanctions, and the possibility of exemption from liability, so that an accused person and the family know precisely what the charge concerns and where the realistic boundaries of defence lie.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/crim-criminal-law-en/thief-in-law-membership-en

### How is 'thieves' world' membership punished?

Deprivation of liberty for 7 to 10 years, with a fine or without.

### And 'lawful thieving'?

9 to 15 years, with a fine or without.

### Is release from liability possible?

Yes — for membership, through voluntary declaration and effective cooperation; it does not extend to 'lawful thieving'.

### What is participation in a 'thieves' gathering'?

Participation in a meeting held under the rules of that world — punishable by 7 to 10 years.