Washington says two government officials involved in violent crackdown on Foreign Agents Act protests
The United States imposed new sanctions and visa bans on Georgians today, including financial sanctions on two government officials and two members of a pro-Russian far-right movement in the country, who Washington says are involved in the violent crackdown on protests.
Large demonstrations had taken place in Agriculture in the spring over the “foreign agents” law, which the South Caucasus country’s parliament passed in May despite criticism, including from US officials, that it was authoritarian and Kremlin-inspired.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement that the economic sanctions target the head of Georgia’s Special Service, Zviat Harazisvili, and his deputy, Millery Lagazzauriwho oversaw the security forces that violently suppressed the protests.
The statement added that Harazisvili was personally involved in physically and verbally abusing the protesters.
They were also targeted Constantine Mogoziafounder of the media company Alt-Info, and his associate Zurab Makaridze, a well-known media personality, the Ministry of Finance cites, accusing them of promoting disinformation and spreading hate speech and threats.
The State Department it also imposed new visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgians it says were responsible for undermining democracy, as well as their family members.
They include government officials, businessmen and members of law enforcement involved in the beating of protesters, the foreign minister said in a statement. Anthony Blinkenwithout naming those affected by the bans.
The Biden administration has previously imposed visa bans on members of the Georgian Dream party, lawmakers, law enforcement and private individuals because of the Foreign Agents Act and the way they have dealt with protests.
The debate over the ‘foreign agents’ law has been seen as a test of whether Georgia, which for three decades was among the most pro-Western successor states to the Soviet Union, will continue to orient itself towards the West or turn more towards Russia.
The Georgian Dream party, which controls parliament, said the legislation was necessary to ensure transparency in foreign funding of NGOs and protect the country’s sovereignty.
Washington has long criticized the law and has launched a review of bilateral cooperation with Georgia.
Source :Skai
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