Promoting Accountability for Serious Human Rights Abuse and Anti-Democratic Actions in Georgia

The United States is today imposing a broad array of accountability measures on a number of Georgian government officials and others who have undermined Georgia’s democracy and the human rights of the Georgian people.

The United States has imposed sanctions on two Georgian government officials—Ministry of Internal Affairs Special Task Department Chief Zviad “Khareba” Kharazishvili and one of his Deputies, Mileri Lagazauri—for their involvement in serious human rights abuse during the violent response to peaceful protests against the foreign influence law. We are also sanctioning two Georgian leaders of a violent extremist group, Konstantine Morgoshia and Zurab Makharadze, for serious human rights abuse, including violent attacks on Georgians exercising their freedom of peaceful assembly.

The Department of State is also taking additional steps to impose visa restrictions on more than 60 Georgian individuals and their family members responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Georgia. These individuals include senior government and municipal figures who abused their power to restrict the fundamental freedoms of the Georgian people, business leaders involved in corrupt practices, persons who have spread disinformation and promoted violent extremism, members of law enforcement who were involved in the beating of protesters, and members of parliament who played a critical role in advancing undemocratic legislation and restricting civil society.

We remain concerned about human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions in Georgia, and we will continue to consider additional actions in response. The United States unequivocally supports the rights of Georgians to assemble, speak, and peacefully protest without fear of violence, intimidation, or suppression.

The Department of the Treasury’s sanctions actions today were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. For more information, see Treasury’s press release. Additional actions are pursuant to a visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act which Secretary Blinken announced in May 2024.