The US said in a statement regarding the sanctions decision that Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party, has undermined the democratic and European future.
“The US is imposing sanctions on Bidzina Grigoris Dze Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream. His actions have enabled human rights violations and undermined the democratic and European future of the Georgian people for the benefit of the Russian Federation,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream of undermining democratic institutions and restricting fundamental freedoms in Georgia: “The actions of Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights violations and restricted the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia. Moreover, they have derailed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future, a future that the Georgian people overwhelmingly desire and that the Georgian constitution mandates.”
“The result is that Georgia has been left defenseless against Russia, which continues to occupy more than 20 percent of Georgia’s territory,” Blinken added.
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