US, UK Sanction Georgian Gov't Officials for Protest Crackdowns
The U.S. and the U.K. this week sanctioned several Georgian government officials for their involvement in the violent suppression of media members, opposition figures and protesters, and other human rights violations aimed at stifling civil dissent. The Office of Foreign Assets Control said some of those "brutal crackdowns" took place in November after Georgia's prime minister announced the country planned to suspend negotiations around joining the EU, prompting country-wide protests.
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OFAC said the country has "violently" targeted political opposition leaders and other anti-government activities in the name of its co-called foreign influence law, a measure passed in May that critics say is aimed at silencing voices that are critical of the Georgian government (see 2407230055). OFAC designated Vakhtang Gomelauri, Georgia's internal affairs minister, and Mirza Kezevadze, the country's deputy head of the Special Task Department, for overseeing the government's violent response to protests of that law.
The U.K.'s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation also sanctioned Gomelauri as well as four other Georgian officials: Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Zviad Kharazishvili, Mileri Lagazauri and Sulkhan Tamazashvili.