The United States will ban visas for approximately 20 Georgian officials it considers responsible for undermining democracy in the country.
This was reported by the US State Department.
The names of the officials who will be banned from issuing visas are not specified, but the State Department notes that these include ministers, members of parliament, law enforcement and security service employees, as well as private individuals.
"The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream partyʼs ongoing, brutal, and unjustified violence against Georgian citizens, including protesters, media representatives, human rights defenders, and opposition figures," the statement said.
The State Department added that it is preparing additional measures, including sanctions, to hold accountable those who undermine democracy in Georgia.
What preceded
Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia in October. According to the Central Election Commission, the pro-government, pro-Russian party Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia won, gaining 53.9% of the vote. Under Georgian law, this party has the right to form a government alone. The European Parliament did not recognize the election results.
Four more pro-Western opposition parties crossed the 5% barrier. The opposition and the president disagreed with the results, and protests began.
On November 28, 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reported that Georgia would abandon EU accession negotiations until 2028. He explained that 2028 would supposedly be the time when Georgia would be economically ready to begin accession negotiations. After that, large-scale protests began in the country, which were dispersed by security forces using water cannons and tear gas.
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