The Biden administration has announced further sanctions against senior Georgian officials and others for their role in undermining democracy and violating human rights in the country. The State and Treasury departments revealed that asset freezes have been imposed on two top Interior Ministry officials, a media executive, and a media personality. These sanctions were imposed due to their involvement in violently suppressing the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression of Georgian citizens engaged in the democratic process.
Moreover, the State Department disclosed that visa bans have been placed on over 60 Georgian government officials, business leaders, law enforcement officers, and members of parliament. These individuals were targeted for their actions in undermining democracy during the contentious debate earlier this year over a new law on foreign agent registration, which has drawn comparisons to similar laws in Russia that stifle dissent.
Among the individuals publicly identified are Zviad “Khareba” Kharazishvili, the chief of the Interior Ministry’s special task department, and Mileri Lagazauri, one of his deputies. Additionally, Konstantine Morgoshia, a founder of Alt-Info media company, and Zurab Makharadze, an online personality associated with Alt-Info, have also been sanctioned for spreading disinformation, hate speech, and inciting violence against minorities and journalists.
These latest sanctions are part of a series of penalties imposed by the Biden administration following the passage of controversial legislation in Georgia earlier this year. In response to the legislation, which requires media and NGOs to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive over 20% of their funding from abroad, the administration had previously suspended $95 million in U.S. assistance to Georgia. Critics argue that this law mirrors Kremlin tactics to silence dissent and could impede Georgia’s aspirations to join the EU.
