The United States has imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder and leader of the ruling party Georgian Dream and the wealthiest Georgian. US Secretary of State Blinken accuses him of undermining democracy in favor of Russia.
Blinken also holds Ivanishvili’s party responsible for “continuous and violent repression” of citizens, protesters, journalists, human rights activists, and opposition members. Protests against the government have seen demonstrators beaten by police, and an opposition leader was briefly detained after leaving a protest.
Ukrainian President Zelensky expressed approval on Telegram, stating that Ivanishvili is working to transfer power to Russian President Putin. The sanctions freeze all of Ivanishvili’s US-based assets.
The 68-year-old Ivanishvili amassed his wealth in Russia after the Soviet Union’s collapse and entered politics over a decade ago, founding Georgian Dream. He served as Prime Minister after his party’s 2012 election victory.
Initially, the party seemed to pursue a pro-European path, but since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Georgia has strengthened ties with Russia, adopting several anti-democratic laws, such as the “foreign agents” law. This law mandates organizations receiving over 20% of their income from abroad to register as “foreign agents,” silencing critical journalists and human rights organizations.
Late last month, Georgian Dream announced a pause in the EU accession process until at least 2028, sparking new demonstrations. The protests began in October after Georgian Dream’s landslide election victory was claimed to be fraudulent by pro-European President Zurabishvili, opposition parties, and independent observers.
Last Sunday, Zurabishvili demanded a new election date within a week, refusing to leave office until this is set. Last month, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected as Georgia’s president by a special assembly, following a constitutional amendment ending direct presidential elections.
His victory was unsurprising as the assembly is mostly comprised of Georgian Dream members, and he ran unopposed due to an opposition boycott. Kavelashvili’s inauguration is scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
Source: NOS