Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has emphasized that individuals providing support to terrorist groups will face legal repercussions. He highlighted that Georgia’s laws now include penalties for collaborators with Hamas and said that the state continues to assist victims of the October 7 attacks.
“Those who provide support to violent terrorist organizations must be held accountable,” said General Chris Carr. “In Georgia, we have worked to strengthen our laws to include criminal penalties for anyone who collaborates with Hamas, and we will keep pushing for legislation that does just that. We’re proud to support the victims of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and the families of those brutally murdered by Hamas, and we will continue to stand against antisemitism in all its forms.”
Carr joined an amicus brief supporting victims and families of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in their efforts to sue U.S. individuals and organizations accused of providing material support to Hamas. The brief identifies groups such as National Students for Justice in Palestine, Within Our Lifetime (formerly NYC Students for Justice in Palestine), and Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine, which are alleged to have acted as propaganda and recruitment arms for Hamas, according to a press release by Carr.
According to the brief, these organizations are accused of recruiting individuals to carry out acts of violence, property destruction, and campus disruptions in support of Hamas. The October 2023 attacks were described as the deadliest assault on Israeli civilians since the Holocaust. It is noted that Hamas has continued its activities involving attacks, hostage-taking, and holding deceased victims’ bodies. Providing support to terrorists is illegal under federal and many state laws, with lawsuits targeting those alleged to have contributed to these activities.
The filing includes participation from 20 additional state attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. According to a press release by Carr, the brief aims to reinforce the legal rights of victims and families to hold accountable anyone in the U.S. alleged to have materially supported the terrorist organization.
Carr was appointed as Georgia’s attorney general by then-Governor Nathan Deal in 2016 and was re-elected in November 2022. Since taking office he has focused on addressing issues such as human trafficking gang activity and opioid misuse. This includes establishing the state’s first Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Gang Prosecution Unit. Carr previously served as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development under Governor Deal from November 2013 to November 2016 according to Georgia.gov.
