Dozens of government politicians and their families may now face travel bans.
New financial restrictions and travel bans have been imposed on top Georgian government officials who violently suppressed protests over a Russian-style ‘foreign agent’ law.
The US Treasury Department has identified two senior law enforcement officials, Zviad Kharazishvili, head of the Special Mission Department, and his deputy, Mileri Lagazauri, as complicit in “serious human rights violations”.
The two are accused of leading security forces that used force against protesters and abducted dissidents during peaceful demonstrations in May. Kharazishvili admitted to journalists on camera that he kept a “list” of “scoundrels” to be attacked.
Also facing sanctions are two leading figures from Alt-Info, a far-right Georgian media outlet that has called for attacks on pro-democracy crowds, journalists and the LGBTQ+ community.
At the same time, the US State Department confirmed that it will impose visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgians and their families for their complicity in “undermining democracy in Georgia”. The list, which has not yet been published, includes government officials who “abused their power to restrict the fundamental freedoms of the Georgian people.”
