Mon Sep 16 15:47:39 UTC 2024: ## US Imposes Sanctions on Georgian Officials and Far-Right Figures for Violent Crackdown on Protests

**Washington, D.C.** – The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on two Georgian government officials and two members of the country’s pro-Russian far-right movement. The individuals are accused of being involved in the violent suppression of protests against a controversial “foreign agent” law.

The sanctions target Zviad Kharazishvili, Chief of the Special Task Department, and his deputy, Mileri Lagazauri, who oversaw security forces that violently cracked down on protests against the law in May. The Treasury statement alleges that the Special Task Department used brutal beatings against peaceful protesters, including Georgian citizens and opposition politicians. Kharazishvili is specifically accused of personally participating in the physical and verbal abuse of protesters.

The sanctions also target Konstantine Morgoshia, founder of media company Alt-Info, and associated media personality Zurab Makharadze. The Treasury alleges that these individuals amplified disinformation, spread hate speech, and issued threats.

The protests erupted over the controversial foreign agent law, which critics, including U.S. officials, claim is Kremlin-inspired and authoritarian. The Georgian Dream party, which controls parliament, argues the legislation is necessary to ensure transparency in foreign funding of NGOs and protect the country’s sovereignty.

The dispute around the foreign agent law has raised concerns about whether Georgia, historically one of the more pro-Western successor states of the Soviet Union, will maintain its Western orientation or move closer to Russia. The U.S. has previously imposed visa bans on Georgian Dream members, parliamentarians, law enforcement officials, and private citizens in response to the law and the protests.

The latest sanctions signal the Biden administration’s continuing disapproval of the Georgian government’s actions and its commitment to supporting democratic principles in the region.

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