What Article 372 of the Criminal Code of Georgia regulates
Article 372 of the Criminal Code of Georgia protects the administration of justice: it establishes liability for the unlawful influencing of a person to be interrogated, a witness, a victim, an expert or an interpreter. Under the law, such influence is aimed at making the person provide false information or give false testimony, give a fabricated conclusion, refuse to provide information or to testify, translate incorrectly, or alter the information, testimony or conclusion he or she has provided.
This norm is directed at protecting the integrity of evidence, and its violation harms a fair investigation and trial. If a charge under this article concerns your family, or if you are the victim of such influence, it is important to know the exact content of the norm and every tier of the punishment.
The first part — an appeal or persuasion
The first part defines the basic composition: an appeal to, or the persuasion of, a person to be interrogated, a witness, a victim, an expert or an interpreter for the purposes indicated. Such conduct is punishable by a fine, or by community service for a term of one hundred and eighty to two hundred and forty hours, or by corrective labour for a term of up to two years, or by imprisonment for a term of one to three years.
The second part — bribery or coercion
The second part defines a stricter composition: the bribery or coercion of the same persons, where this is accompanied by the offer of any kind of property benefit to them or to their close relatives, or by the threat of murder, violence, damage or destruction of property, or by another threat. Such conduct is punishable by a fine or by imprisonment for a term of three to six years.
Particular attention is devoted to the forms of the threat: the law separately names the threat of murder, of violence, of damage or destruction of property, and other threats. The content of a threat and whether it was perceived as real is often a disputed issue, and this is precisely where a defence lawyer raises arguments.
The third and fourth parts — violence and danger to life or health
Under the third part, conduct provided for by the second part, committed with violence, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to eight years. The fourth part provides that the same conduct, dangerous to life or health, is punishable by imprisonment for a term of six to nine years. Under the note to the law, for the acts provided for by this article a legal person is punishable by a fine or by deprivation of the right to carry out an activity and by a fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the most frequent questions concerning this article.
What penalty is provided for influencing a witness?
For the basic composition — from a fine up to deprivation of liberty from one to three years; bribery or coercion — from three to six years; committed with violence — from five to eight years; dangerous to life or health — from six to nine years.
May a legal person be punished?
Yes — for acts under this article a legal person is punished by a fine or by deprivation of the right to carry on activity and a fine.
How does the first part differ from the second?
The first part covers an appeal or persuasion; the second covers bribery or coercion accompanied by an offer of property benefit or by a threat of murder, violence, damage to or destruction of property or another threat.
Who are the protected persons?
A person to be interrogated, a witness, a victim, an expert and an interpreter.
How We Help on Legal.ge
On the defence side, a lawyer verifies the fact and the form of the influence — whether an appeal or persuasion was criminal at all, whether it had the purpose listed in the law, and whether a threat or an offer of property benefit existed. Such cases often rest on the reconstruction of communications — written, electronic or oral evidence. On the side of the victim, a lawyer ensures the protection of the person and the complete recording of the evidence.
The rules of procedure and the time limits are established by other acts of procedural legislation. Our team offers consultations on cases of this category for both parties. Contact us — we will assess the situation and build a defence strategy.
In practice, episodes of influence are most often connected with the period of the investigation and the court hearing: the conflict between the parties is sometimes so acute that the content of testimony or conclusions becomes the subject of arrangements between individuals. It is precisely then that attention is drawn to the full reconstruction of the real communication and its purposes from the evidentiary material — written correspondence, electronic messages, and contradictions between statements. The lawyer's task is to isolate the episodes that genuinely bear a criminal character and to separate them from what constitutes an ordinary conversation or a lawful request.
On the side of the victim, timely reaction is of particular importance: recording the fact of the threat or the bribery, protecting witnesses and informing the competent authorities. Our team ensures the representation of the party at every stage of the process and forms a position that protects both the safety of the person and the completeness of the case materials.