US imposes sanctions on founder of Georgia's ruling party
Photo: Bidzina Ivanishvili (Getty Images)
The United States of America has imposed financial sanctions against the founder and honorary chairman of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party, former prime minister, and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, according to the US Treasury Department.
According to the statement, all assets of Ivanishvili located in the United States or owned or controlled by US persons will be blocked. It is also noted that the decision to impose sanctions on Ivanishvili was made on the basis of Executive Order 14024, issued by President Joe Biden on April 15, 2021, in response to the harmful actions of Russia.
This means that it applies to individuals who commit acts that undermine democratic institutions and values, as well as engage in international corruption.
According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States put Ivanishvili on the sanctions list for “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation.”
"Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream’s actions have eroded democratic institutions, enabled human rights abuses, and curbed the exercise of fundamental freedoms in Georgia. Furthermore, they have derailed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future, a future the Georgian people overwhelmingly desire and the Georgian constitution mandates. The result has left Georgia vulnerable to Russia, which continues to occupy more than 20 percent of Georgia’s territory," he said.
The situation in Georgia
At the end of October, large-scale protests broke out in Georgia following the parliamentary elections. The pro-Russian Georgian Dream party, which has been ruling the country for more than a decade, won the election.
However, observers then recorded numerous violations and attempts to falsify the vote. At the same time, a new president was elected in Georgia on December 14. For the first time, the president was elected not by citizens, but by the electoral college, where the Georgian Dream party has a majority.
The winner was declared a former football player with anti-Western views, Mikheil Kavelashvili. He was the only candidate nominated by the Georgian Dream.
