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.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is nearing a defence deal with the EU to reset post-Brexit ties, even as his government courts a U.S. trade deal. Talks will culminate at a May summit, aiming to boost cooperation in defence, energy, and youth mobility.
Leaders from around the world, including the President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will come together today to address the global challenges and opportunities of speeding up the clean energy transition.
King Charles and Queen Camilla made a brief public appearance at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on Easter Sunday, marking the monarch’s first public outing since his cancer diagnosis. The royal couple joined other family members for the traditional service.
The British steel industry is grappling with its most significant crisis in decades, as the government has been forced to intervene in an emergency bid to save the country's last operational blast furnaces at British Steel.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumannaya river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
U.S. President Donald Trump is closing in on a minerals deal with Ukraine, part of his plan to end the war.
Romanians vote Sunday in a rerun presidential election with far-right eurosceptic George Simion leading the polls, a potential upset that could unsettle markets and raise alarms in the EU and NATO.
Iran plans to meet with representatives from Britain, France, and Germany in Rome on Friday, ahead of a new round of nuclear talks with the United States scheduled for Saturday, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has announced the upcoming release of a documentary film about Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Operation in Iran’s Shahid Rajaei Port in the southern city of Bandar Abbas is back to normal after firefighters put off the deadly fire which broke out on Saturday, customs authorities said.
Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili expressed hope that Armenia and Azerbaijan will sign a peace agreement in the near future, contributing to the positive development dynamics of the South Caucasus region.
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) has opened its regional office in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Russia and Belarus are planning to establish a joint aviation factory focused on producing drones and other aircraft. The announcement came during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the Russian city of Volgograd.
Russia and North Korea on Wednesday launched construction of a road bridge between the two countries that will span the Tumannaya river, marking strategic partnership between the two countries, Russia's prime minister said.
Canada’s economy contracted 0.2 % in February, its first monthly decline since November, as slumps in mining, oil and gas extraction, and construction dragged overall output lower, Statistics Canada said.
U.S. President Donald Trump is closing in on a minerals deal with Ukraine, part of his plan to end the war.
Romanians vote Sunday in a rerun presidential election with far-right eurosceptic George Simion leading the polls, a potential upset that could unsettle markets and raise alarms in the EU and NATO.
Iran plans to meet with representatives from Britain, France, and Germany in Rome on Friday, ahead of a new round of nuclear talks with the United States scheduled for Saturday, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment