UK sanctions Georgian officials allowed brutal police violence

The United Kingdom has sanctioned four more high-ranking Georgian officials for their role in allowing serious human rights violations in response to legitimate protests in Georgia since 2024.

"With today’s action, the UK is the first state to sanction Georgia’s General Prosecutor and the Head of the Special Investigatory Service for failing in their positions to properly investigate those responsible for serious violence," - said in a statement of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Last year saw a series of public protests erupt across the country, triggered by the actions of Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream. In response, the authorities began an aggressive crackdown on demonstrations, attacking and arbitrarily detaining members of civil society, media and opposition figures.

Individuals sanctioned today are:

Giorgi Gabitashvili, General Prosecutor,
Karlo Katsitadze, Head of the Special Investigatory Service,
Shalva Bedoidze, First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia,
Mirza Kezevadze, Deputy Chief of the Special Task Department.

All four are excluded from the UK and its economy through UK travel bans and asset freezes.

The statement said that these measures support the UK Government’s work internationally to protect human rights, to reduce global instability and deter threats to UK national security – one of the foundations of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

Since the beginning of this year, Georgia’s ruling party – Georgian Dream – has attempted to push through legislation for a series of new repressive laws which critics say will be used to silence civil society and opposition parties, with the prospect of hefty prison sentences for non-compliance.

Today’s announcement adds to UK sanctions against five Georgian officials in December for their roles in the violent attacks against demonstrators, media and opposition figures. Georgia’s Minister for Interior, his deputy and Director of the Tbilisi Police Department were among five individuals sanctioned for violating human rights in Georgia. 

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